Breakable
by Carmelina Ballerina
Summary: We all know what happened in the Quell, but what was going on back home in District 12? A girl from Town meets a boy from the Seam and the rest is history...add in a grouchy girl on fire and talk of a rebellion? Let's hope the odds are in their favor. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! My first fic! I was really disappointed that SC didn't elaborate on whatever Madge and Gale had going on during the beginning of Catching Fire, so I decided this was where I come in...this is my version of what really happened with Madge and Gale, starting with the day she brought him the morphling. Please review, this is my first story and I need to know if it's good enough to keep going. **

_The title of this story comes from the song Breakable by Ingrid Michaelson, "And we are just breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys"._

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or events that you recognize from the Hunger Games trilogy. I'm not Suzanne Collins, but a girl can wish, right?**

Chapter 1.

My favorite thing about the winter is the snow. For a few short months, the ugliness of our district is hidden beneath a blanket of pure white. In parts of the Seam where the layer of coal dust ground into the earth is especially thick, the snow takes on a gray pallor, but the part of town where I live is perfect.

I wake up around noon most days in the winter, because we have winter recess for a month. But the bright light reflecting off of the snow sneaks through my bedroom curtains around nine and forces my eyes open. I try to go back to sleep, but after fifteen minutes, I abandon the idea and sit up. I stretch my arms above my head, flex my toes and work the crick out of my neck.

I place my icy feet on the carpet and slowly get to my feet. It takes all of my strength to shuffle my legs across the floor to my wardrobe, where I pull on fresh clothes and an extra pair of socks. I run a comb through my blond tangles and smooth a heap of peach scented lotion onto my chapped hands.

It's nearly ten when I make my way downstairs. Pauline, our housekeeper, places a stack of pancakes before me and I devour them before she's finished brewing a pot of coffee, my father's favorite morning treat. "Thanks Pauline," I mumble through a mouthful of pancake and grab two mugs from the cupboard. I fill one with coffee for Daddy and the other with scalding water and a couple of tea leaves for my mother.

I place the beverages on a metal tray along with two pain pills and a vial of morphling. Mother will definitely need the pills, and depending on how she's doing today, she might need a shot of morphling to take the edge off. Just as I reach for the doorknob to the master bedroom, Daddy walks out. He quietly closes the door so we're both in the hallway, grabs his coffee off the tray and smiles down at me. "Have a nice day, Madge. Take good care of your mother for me, okay?"

"Of course I will, Daddy," I reply with a grin. We both know I'd never leave Mother to face her headaches alone.

"They say there's a blizzard coming, so please stay safe. The telephone numbers are on the bedside table along with the house key and some money," he tells me. I giggle.

"I know, Daddy. We go over this every day. We'll be fine, I promise."

"I'll be at the Justice Building if there's an emergency,"

"Come on, Daddy, you'll be late."

"Stay safe, Madge," he raises his eyebrows at me, as if he's challenging me to obey him.

"Always. When should we expect you home tonight?"

"I have a meeting with the new Head Peacekeeper at eight tonight, so expect me close to ten. I'm going to give Pauline the rest of the day off because of the blizzard. So you'll be by yourself with Mother. You're sure you can handle it?"

"Of course I can, Daddy. Go on now," I give him a reassuring smile and he gives me a kiss on the forehead.

"You don't answer the door for strangers, lock up, and don't answer the telephone. Be good darling," he takes a sip of his coffee and walks downstairs. Shortly after, I hear the door close. I open the door to my parents' bedroom and walk in. Mother is piled under blankets sleeping peacefully. The curtains are closed and the lights are off, effectively blocking out the real world.

I rouse her and give her the pills and her mug of tea. She says she's feeling okay today, and she doesn't need the morphling. I tell her I want to go into town to get some things before the snow starts, she agrees and hands me the key and money from the table beside her.

"Margaret. You stay safe now, alright?" she whispers as I'm walking out. I crinkle my nose ans wonder why my parents are so worried about my safety today. I know how to take care of my mother and I've been in town during snowfall numerous times.

I put on my heaviest jacket and my thickest scarf. My boots are getting too small for me and pinch my toes, but the alternative is a pair of black tennis shoes, which will no doubt be ruined within minutes in this weather.

With the money tucked in my pocket, I begin the mile walk into the town square. I plan on stopping off at the butcher to get some fresh meat, but a bloodcurdling scream stops me dead in my tracks halfway into town. Not a second later I see a young woman, the source of the scream, running from the center of town towards the Seam, hanging onto the infant in her arms as if her life depended on it.

Margaret Undersee, daughter of the mayor, says run home and don't look back. Madge Undersee, curious teenager whose life lacks excitement, says find out what's happening in the square. Curious Madge wins, and I rush the rest of the way into the square. I push my way through the large flock of people gathered in front the whipping post.

My heart sinks to my feet when I manage to shove my way to the front and see who's playing victim today. Gale Hawthorne. Oh God, not him. Please, let it be someone else. Please don't let it be someone I know. Please, oh please, oh please. My brain straightens itself out and comprehends what's going on right as the whip hits the young man's bare backside. I squeal as a splash of blood sprinkles the red-haired Peacekeeper standing behind the man with the whip. Darius, I think his name is.

I look away as the whip comes down again and feel hot tears welling in my eyes. Someone taps me on the shoulder and I spin around. It's Leevy, one of Katniss's neighbors in the Seam. I met her only once when Katniss gave me a tour of the Seam, but I see her in the school hallways often.

"Madge, are you alright? You look green," she whispers. It takes all of my strength to swallow the lump in my throat and nod.

"W-what happened?" I mumble through chattering teeth. She explains that Gale was found with a turkey and sentenced to a whipping for poaching. She was in the square when it happened and watched from the beginning. She tells me that when I got to the square, he had taken nineteen lashes. While we were talking, the number soared to twenty eight.

I do my best to avert my eyes, but it's like that expression Daddy uses, "watching an accident." I have no idea what exactly it means, but I think it means you try not to watch but you can't help but stare. I look down for a second and when I look up, the Peacekeeper with the orange hair is in a slump on the ground.

The contrast of the warm teardrop on my icy cheek is unbearable, and I ferociously wipe it away before any more tears break away. I look at the man with the whip and I don't recognize him. I process who he is when I can't find Cray in the group of officers on stage. The new Head Peacekeeper that Daddy mentioned this morning.

If this is what happens for being caught with a turkey, no wonder why Mother and Daddy made such a scene about my safety this morning. I decide it's best to leave, but as I'm about to move, Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch shove their way to the front. I can't hear what they say, but I can see and hear the whip make contact with Katniss's face. I hear some shouting from Haymitch and before I know it, the new Head is coiling his whip and walking away, the other Peacekeepers trailing behind him like ducklings.

The crowd quickly disperses and I see two miners rush forward to help get Gale to a healer, most likely Mrs. Everdeen. My suspicions are confirmed when I hear Katniss speaking to a miner who I've seen several times before. Thom I think. Maybe it was Bristel, I can't be sure. I'm not going to lie, every miner looks alike to me. I see Katniss' friend Leevy running for the Seam like there's no tomorrow, hair whipping in the wind behind her. I decide this is as good time as ever to get home and do something about this. My brain switches to auto-pilot and before I know it, I'm running for my home faster than Leevy.

I don't bother to take off my snowy boots when I burst through the door to my house. Pauline has the day off, so she won't be here to yell at me to take them off before I wake mother with my clambering. I blink a few times to let my eyes adjust to being inside before bolting upstairs. I run into the bathroom and pull open the third drawer, where my father keeps all of Mother's medicine.

I rifle through the drawers, looking for duplicate pill bottles, pain killers, anything I can bring to Gale. The racket I'm making doesn't occur to me until I look up and see a pale, frail looking Mother standing over me.

"What in the heavens are you doing, child?" she asks me quietly. I haven't seen Mother out of bed in weeks, and the sight alone is enough to make me emotional, added to the spectacle I just saw in town, I'm ready to crawl under a rock and bawl my eyes out.

"I went into town and there was a w-w-whipping," my voice cracks and my eyes brim with tears. "I know him, Momma. The boy who was whipped. His name is Gale and he sells me and Daddy strawberries. I need to help, I know whatever Mrs. Everdeen has won't do much for him. I saw how hard the whip came down and how many times. I have to help..." my voice trails off and I don't wait for her response before I turn back to the drawer.

I hear her footsteps head down the hallway and assume she is going back to bed, too furious with me to dignify my plea with a response. However, she returns a moment later with a cardboard box. She places it on the counter in front of me a quietly closes the drawer. She gives me a kiss on the cheek and says, "Give this to the boy. Go now, and be quick before the snow starts."

I glance into the box and see a decent amount of morphling vials. I look up at her, and she just nods. "It's alright, I have plenty stored away. He needs this more than I do. Go now, Margaret, before the storm gets to bee too bad." I don't waste a minute. I give her a peck on the cheek and dash down the stairs and out the door. I can feel the wind picking up as I make haste towards Victor's Village.

I reach out for the brass door knocker, my knuckles a nasty red color from the biting cold. I rap the knocker against the door three times and wait a minute. Nothing. I look to my right and see a tiny white button, the doorbell. In Twelve, only the homes in the Victor's Village and in the Official's Village have doorbells. They cost a pretty penny to have, they require fixing often, and they are therefore seen as a luxury that many town residents don't mind going without. In the Seam, they would never think about hooking up a bell to their doors when every single person in Twelve has two perfectly good hands to knock with. Well, except for Ripper, but let's not count her.

I press the little button thrice, and then a fourth for good measure. When the door swings open, Haymitch, Peeta, Katniss, Prim, Mrs. Everdeen, and Gale's mother stand on the other side. Katniss steps forward. I push the box of morphling into her hands. The box is damp with melted snow and my hands are shaking from the cold.

"Use these for your friend," I say. Katniss opens the box and peeks inside. Her eyebrows crease in confusion and her eyes dart up at me. "They're my mother's," I explain. "She said I could take them. Use them, please."

Without waiting for a response, I run back into the storm. I hear Katniss's mother call out to me but I don't stop. Knowing Mrs. E, she'll invite me in for a cup of tea and offer me a guest room until the storm blows over. However, I know that tea is in the kitchen, and I've got a pretty good hunch that a certain tall, dark miner is in the kitchen too, getting the flesh on his back reconstructed. He's probably unconscious, but I want to be as far away from him as I can be…I've felt the bile creeping in the back of my throat all day, and I know that one look at him could open the floodgates.

I use the back of my bare hand to wipe the snot from my nose as I keep running. My first thought: how could I forget to wear gloves? My second thought: my mother would scold me if she saw! My third thought: I'm not worried about being a lady right now. I'm worried about getting through my front door before I loose my fingers to frost bite.

With that thought floating in the air, I pick up the pace. I don't stop until I see my street. I sprint the last hundred feet to my front door and throw it open with a sigh. I rip off my boots and make a beeline for the kitchen. I fix myself a cup of tea and hold the mug tight in an attempt to thaw my hands. As I take the last sip in the mug, my eyelids begin to droop. I miraculously make it to my bed before the excitement of the day catches up to me and sleep pulls me under.

**A/N: Review please! Constructive criticism is absolutely welcome, I just need to know what you think! Should I keep going?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all SO much for your reviews and tips. Seriously, it really helped! Also, I posted the original version of this about 15 minutes ago, then read it as a reader would see it and realized somehting funny happened to all of the lines i tried to put in italics. I'm still really new to this, so I tried to fix it but I don't know if i did it right. If I didn't, all of the lines followed by 'I think" are Madge's thoughts, and supposed to be italicized. SOrry for the confusion, please forgive me! :) ****Without further ado, here's the second chapter! **

**Chapter 2.**

I wake up to the sound of my parents arguing in the hallway outside my bedroom. I open my eyes and look around my bedroom. When I was younger, I used to love my bedroom. It was a place I could go when I wanted to be alone or when I wanted to play- it housed all of my toys. Now that I'm older, I resent it. Other kids in the District share one bedroom with all of their siblings and their parents, and its usually about half the size of my room.

"Reynold, enough!" I hear my mother hiss at my dad. I stay completely silent and press my ear to the door in an attempt to hear better. The second they know I'm awake is the second they go downstairs and act like nothing happened.

"Marcia, I'm the mayor! You can't be sending our child off into a blizzard without telling me! You think I like having Peacekeepers come up to me and tell me my daughter was seen running through Town after curfew last week?" He yells back.

"I told you it was a dire situation! It was over a week ago, it doesn't matter anymore. Why don't you trust me? You're gone all day, what right do you have to tell me how to raise our child?"

"Oh please, Marcia, that's a big load of crap! We both know that you barely see Madge too. I regret that I have to work so much, but there's nothing I can do about it! And don't you dare try to play this card now, it has absolutely no relevance to the fact that you let Madge go out in a blizzard and after curfew. I want answers. Tell me why you let her go!" I can picture my dad's thin brown eyebrows arching up his forehead and his lips forming a straight line the way they do when he gets angry.

"She was bringing something to a friend." That's not like Mother, I think. Mother always tells the whole truth. Sure, she's leaving a big part of the story out, but it isn't like she's telling a bold-faced lie either.

"What could she possibly be bringing that's worth risking her safety for?"

"Morphling," comes the whisper.

"MORPHLING? Are you kidding me? You sent Madge into the middle of a raging snow storm to bring a friend a drug that we're not even supposed to have? Have you lost your mind?"

"Reynold, you don't understand," Mother's voice begins to rise.

"The hell I do! Now you have five seconds to tell me who was on the receiving end of this morphling delivery before my head explodes."

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is. Five…four…three-"

"Gale Hawthorne. The miner who was whipped," my mother whispers the last bit, but I can still hear it. I hear my dad gasp, and mutter something. My mother recaps the incident when I came home that day looking for pills for Gale. My dad is listening patiently, which surprises me. When my mother finishes the story, he says,

"Okay then."

I can hear footsteps coming towards my room, so I dart across the room and slide into my bed. In one swift motion, I yank the blankets over my head and clap twice to shut off my light. I hear the door creak open a few inches. "Madge, honey, wake up." It's Pauline. I sigh in relief. I don't want to have to face either of my parents right now. With a groan, I plant my feet on the floor and stretch my arms above my head. Pauline ruffles my hair and tells me to come down for breakfast.

Ten minutes later, I'm dressed and my nest of hair has been tamed. When I walk downstairs, I'm greeted by the smell of hot chocolate. I instantly grin, I haven't had hot chocolate in ages. My smile falters when I realize why I haven't had hot chocolate in a while. Pauline only makes it when we have visitors.

Before I walk through the arch to the kitchen, I finger-comb my hair and straighten my blouse, just in case who ever is in there is of importance. When I walk into the kitchen, I expect to see a neighbor or one of Daddy's colleagues. Perhaps a visitor from the Capitol, a long-lost relative even.

Anyone but Gale Hawthorne.

He sits at the table, a mug of untouched hot chocolate between his calloused hands. Daddy sits across from him, his lips in their infamous straight line. The sight is actually quite comical, the two of them seem to be engaged in a staring contest of sorts. "Morning, Daddy," I say, ignoring the miner at my kitchen table. I give my dad a peck on the cheek and look into Gale's eyes. "Oh, I didn't realize we had a visitor. Hello."

"Uh, hey," Gale grunts. He looks down at his drink and mumbles something else I don't hear.

"Madge, honey, Gale came over to speak to you," Daddy says. I don't really know what to say, so I just nod. "Well, uh, I guess I'll leave you two alone then. I'll be in the parlor if you need me." With one more threatening look at Gale, he grabs the newspaper off the edge of the table and walks out.

I pour myself a cup of the chocolate concoction simmering on the stove and sit in Daddy's seat across from Gale. "Hello," I repeat. He looks up at me, his deep brown eyes somehow startling. There's a moment of extremely awkward silence before I speak again.

"Erm, how are you?" I try to remember my manners, but I really want him to cut to the chase. If whatever he has to day is important enough for him to come to my house in Town, completely out of his way, and not to mention his comfort zone, I want to hear it.

"Listen Madge," he says. "All I remember was lying on the Everdeen's kitchen table in excruciating pain. One minute I wanted to die from the pain. The next, you were on the doorstep. Then, I passed out. When I woke up, everything was better. I felt great, I looked great, it was like I was never whipped. No one will tell me what fixed me, but something's telling me it has something to do with you. So start talking."

"Uh, okay, I guess. Well, I was walking trough Town and I saw you. You were uh, being w-whipped. I watched them take you to Mrs. Everdeen, and I wanted to cry. I knew that whatever she could give you wouldn't be enough. I-I-I don't know if you know this, but my mother suffers from excruciating migraines, so we have, uh, a lot of medicine in the house. I came home and looked for something to bring to you to help with the pain. My mother gave me, uh, some stuff to give you, and I brought it to the Everdeen's house. I guess it worked." I stammer.

"Oh. Well, um, thanks, I guess. It worked, you know. Good as new, right?" he looks really uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I guess so," this is getting really awkward. I wonder why Gale is here. I mean, he's always been nasty to me, why would he come all the way over here to thank me? I thinkI find myself looking at the drink in front of me. After a minute or two, Gale mumbles something incoherent. I look up, prompting him to repeat it.

"What was it? Like, what did you bring for Mrs. E to use?"

"Oh. Uh, it was morphling. They manufacture it in the Capitol. It's popular in District 6, I think. They use it as a depressant, maybe? It's the stuff they use on tributes after the Games when they put them back together. It takes away pain and helps make the user feel relaxed and at ease. My mom uses it for her headaches when they get to be almost too much to bear. But, uh, if anyone asks, it was just sleep syrup. It's illegal in Twelve, so my parents could get in big trouble if anyone found out that they've been stockpiling the stuff every time my dad can get his hands on some," I explain. I wonder if he knows how risky it was for me to get it to him.

"You know you didn't have to do that. It was really generous."

"It really wasn't a problem, Gale. We have tons of the stuff, and you needed it more after the whipping than my mom ever has and probably ever will."

"Um, I'm not really sure this will cover it, but this is all I have for now," he says as he pulls out six coins. "Maybe we can work out a deal? Free strawberries until I can pay it off," he says. I don't hesitate to push the coins back into his hands.

"No, no. I couldn't accept that. It's not one of those things you can pay back, you know? I can't take your money. Or, uh, your free strawberries."

"Madge, I-"

"Please, Gale. Don't worry about it." I insist.

"Let me do something at least? For all I know, you saved my life. Is there anything I can do for you?" he asks.

"Nothing I can think of," I say, pleased that he's not pushing the money issue. After a few seconds, an idea pops into my head. "Actually, there is one thing you can help me with,"

"You name it, I'm your man."

"Do you know how to fix a cabinet?" I ask. I push my chair back and walk across the room to the small cabinet above the sink that we use to store the good china we use when Daddy has important people over for dinner. I open the cabinet door and the hinge squeaks. The top hinge has come undone so the cabinet door swings a little to the side. The bottom hinge is almost off as well. It's only minutes away from coming off completely.

Gale walks over, examines the cabinet, and pulls a knife out of his boot. He uses one hand to hold the cabinet in place and the other to use the knife. With the knife, which has to have at least a six inch blade, he turns two loose screws until they're firmly in place. He switches positions to tend to the bottom hinge.

In about forty seconds, Gale Hawthorne has done what would have taken me a few hours. As he tests the cabinet, I let my mind wander. Wow, Gale looks really good today, has he always looked like this? I think. I wonder if he even likes me as a person. He's always nasty to me. Oh, wow. He smells really good too. I wonder if he-

"There you go, all fixed," he interrupts my day dreaming.

"Thank you, Gale. Honestly, that would have taken me hours," I admit sheepishly.

"Hours? Wow, that's a pretty decent chunk of time you'll never get back," he replies with a chuckle. It's the first time I've seen Gale show real emotion, and it's kind of nice. I quickly scan my mind for anything else in the house that needs fixing, any excuse I can use to get him to stay longer. Nothing comes to mind.

"What do you do all day, anyway? Well, school, obviously. But, like, Katniss hunts, Peeta bakes, I go to the mines. Well, its not like mining is a choice for me...Is there anything you do to keep busy?" he asks me. Honestly, I'm a little surprised. I never pegged Gale as one for chitchat.

"Nope," I answer honestly, "I don't really do much of anything. I go to school, take care of my mother, and sometimes I play piano. My life's pretty boring, actually."

"I'll be honest, that doesn't seem like much fun," he replies with a tiny frown. Is he really talking to me? Like a real conversation? I think.

"It isn't," I say with a nervous laugh.

"Well, Madge. I do still owe you for that morphling, no matter what you say. Let me show you a good time."

"Oh, Gale, I don't know. I mean-" I say, but he walks toward the door, as if he's already made up his mind. He opens the french doors and stands in the threshold.

"It will be fun, I promise. Meet me at the Seam-Town border at seven," he says and closes the door behind him. As he's walking away, he turns around and yells "Oh, and Madge? Wear something pretty."

**A/N: Who found the HG reference? It was pretty obvious and most likely still fresh in your minds, but if you found it, let me know! Oh, and sorry if these Author's Notes bother you...if they do, feel free to ignore them. But please review! It makes my day:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! First of all, I want to thank you all for your reviews and support, it's great! Next order of business, shout out to _it's just real _for beign the first/only one to correctly identify the HG reference. Moving on, These next two chapters will be a little different. I got a very interesting review from requesting a chapter from Gale's POV. I let the wheels in my brain turn a little bit, and decided to do this chapter from Gale's POV. The next chapter will be from Madge's POV, but it will cover the same time frame that this chapter does. More fetails in the end a/n. So, here it is...chapter 3!**

Chapter 3.**  
><strong>

**Gale POV**

After closing the doors to Madge's kitchen, I walk the two miles to the Seam without stopping. I pass several friends, but pretend that I don't hear them calling my name or shouting hello. As soon as my feet are over the Seam-Town border, I begin to run. I have to get out of the district for a while, I need to clear my head. I can't figure out how I feel about Madge, and going hunting is the only way I know of to sort my thoughts out.

I throw open the old wooden door to my house, number 5213. My mom is in the kitchen washing clothes in the basin on the table. "Hi honey," my mom says.

"Hi, ma. I'm going into the woods. Be back in a couple of hours," I reply as I throw on my leather hunting jacket.

"Gale, don't be silly, It isn't safe to go hunting anymore, and your back is proof of it." she chides.

"I'ma grown man, I'll be fine. I really just want to get out there and clear my head." I tell her as I sling my game bag over my right shoulder. I wince as the weight of the thick leather bag makes contact with my sore shoulder. The look in my mom's eyes tells me that she saw it. Luckily, she doesn't say anything about it.

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea. You really should just stay home. You can help me with the laundry or you can go to the Hob. I just don't think it's safe for you to go to the woods today, honey."

"Ma," I begin to say in my infamous condescending tone.

"You know what,? Fine, Gale. We both know that I'm not going to change your mind. If you go, you better be safe. Do you hear me, young man?"

"Yes, ma'am. You have my word." I smile, I knew I would get my way.

"Now, you be safe. Make sure you bring back enough for us and the Everdeens, okay?" she says. I look at her in confusion. She elaborates,

"Katniss hasn't been able to hunt recently. That woman Effie has her schedule packed even tighter after she took a week off," I see her wince out of the corner of my eye at her indirect reference to the time Katniss spent at home after I was whipped. I nod, to let her know I'm listening, and she continues,

"Now, I ran into Jessa Everdeen today when I was doing my rounds for laundry. She asked me if you would be able to bring them some game today. You know, they can afford the real meat from the butcher, but growing up your whole life eating wild game, you can't just change all of a sudden, it messes up your taste buds or somehting, doesn't it?"

"Not sure, Ma. But yeah, I can try to get them something. Just so you know, I won't be home for dinner. I'll be back long enough to skin the kills and change clothes, I'm going out." I give my mom minimal details, mainly because I just want to get into the woods, but also because she's the nosiest person I know, and even though she's my mom and I love her dearly, I know she's the Seam's biggest gossip. And if she knew her son, a coal miner, was meeting up with the mayor's daughter, she's have a field day with the neighbors.

"Out. Hm. Alright, I guess," she agrees.

"Think you can hold down the fort for a few hours without me?" I joke.

"Actually, come to think of it, your brothers and sister will be off the wall without you here to reign them in. I'll do my best, I mean it's not like I'm a mother or anything. We can't all be the cool older brother," she replies with a chuckle and a wink.

"See you later, Ma," I say as I sling my game bag over my shoulder and open the door.

"Bye, Gale, stay safe. The kids will probably be back from school when you get back. See you later."

I'm under the fence within minutes. I haven't been in the wood since the day I was whipped, and it feels great. I didn't think I would miss it that much. I guess it's true that you don't know what you have until it's take from you. I never thought I would miss the moss and the trees like I did this past week.

Since I began work in the mines a little while ago, I haven't been able to be out hunting daily like I used to. I spend all of Sundays in the woods and Wednesday mornings, I'll drop by on my way to the mines, re-set my nine snares and two traps, and come back during lunch break to check the lines. Just another change I've learned to cope with.

My brain switches to autopilot and before I know it, I'm sitting on the rock Katniss and I used to meet at. I remember the day Katniss and I were joking around, tossing berries in the air and mocking Effie Trinket. My goodness, how things have changed. To think it was only seven months ago makes me want to cry. But, you know, I'm Gale Hawthorne. And I most definitely do not cry.

As I go around checking the snares and traps for game, I let my mind wander. After a few minutes of meaningless thoughts, it settles on one Madge Undersee. I can't figure out what I feel for her. I know I've teased her and even harassed her on occasion, but she really isn't all that bad. As I think about it, I realize that Madge couldn't control what family she was born into. It's not her fault her dad's the mayor and she has more money than every family in the Seam combined.

I'm sure that I want to be her friend. I mean, she could have died in that blizzard trying to get me the illegal drugs that may very well have saved my life, I at least owe her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I still owe her physically, no matter what she says, and I already thought of how I'm going to make it up to her. Tonight, I plan on taking her to the only restaurant in Twelve. I never understood the purpose of a restaurant, why would you pay someone to make your food for you when you can hunt it, skin it, cook it, and eat it by yourself for free?

Of course, I'm totally against the idea of paying for Mage and I to have supper, but my buddy Thom works a shift at the restaurant each night from six to ten, and he told me he'd get me in for free. He's from the Seam, too, so he understands why I'm so opposed to the whole idea. But, he's engaged to be married, so he understands that I want to make a good impression on Madge, even if I don't know how I feel about her yet.

It takes three hours, but I have six squirrels, three rabbits, two pints of mint leaves and half a dozen fish. I trade two squirrels and a fish at the Hob for some coins, a block of wax, two yards of rope and a bar of soap. I stop by the Everdeen's old house, Seam #5144 and let myself in. I leave three fish, a rabbit, and a pinch of mint leaves on the kitchen table. I haven't seen Katniss since the day I was discharged from Mrs. Everdeen's care, but I know that she comes by the old house every day to check on things.

I bend down to re-tie the laces on my favorite hunting boots, and when I stand back up, I sense someone's watching me. I spin around and see a shadow in the doorway. Without thinking, I reach for the knife I keep in my boot, and wrap my hand firmly around the handle. I see the shadow shift in my peripheral vision.

"Don't pull your knife on me, Gale," comes the voice from the doorway. Katniss steps into the light with her hands shoved deep into her pockets.

I drop the knife back into my boot and stand up straight.

"Hey, Katniss."

"Hi. Didn't expect to see you out and about so soon. I figured Hazelle would have kept you inside until you went stir-crazy," she attempts a joke.

"Oh, trust me, she did. Last night I finally snapped. Started yelling about how the house was worse than a prison. Y know, cause you can't see everyone around you having a good time when you're locked up in a prison. Heh."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Well, I was just stopping by to check on things in the house. Since the Capitol jerks are coming soon for a visit, Effie's making me stay in Victor's Village in case they drop in a little early. What brings you here?" she asks

"Just dropping off some game that your mother requested." I reply, wondering when Katniss got to be so awkward around me. She never was much of a talker, but our dynamic has completely changed since she got back from the Games. I guess that's reasonable, but still, I miss the old Katniss.

"Oh. Thanks, I guess. Well, I bet you have things to do, so you can get going. I don't mind" she says with a straight face. I can't take it any more, it's driving my crazy. I have to ask,

"Katniss, did I do something? Is there a reason why you're being so distant?" I ask, nervous for her response.

"No, no. You didn't do anything. But you really should be going now," she says, her voice dropping at the last sentence.

"Oh. Okay, I guess. Well, I hope to see you around soon, we haven't talked in a while."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Bye, Gale." she says and crosses the room to the table where I left the game. I wait a minute for her to say anything else she might have on her mid, but she's silent. I take it as my cue to leave.

I walk back to my house in a hurry, the position of the sun tells me it's nearly six. I rush inside, change into a clean pair or pants and my Reaping day shirt, and run back out the door. I hustle all the way to the Seam-Town border and get there just in time. I wait only a minute before I see Madge walking towards me. She's wearing a blue skirt and a white blouse. Her blond waves are sitting on top of her head in a pile of hair that's held in place by two thin, brown wooden sticks.

She looks great.

"Wow," I say when she walks up to me.

"Is it too much? Do I have something in my hair? What is it?" she asks as her eyes dart back and forth frantically.

:It's just…you look really nice, Madge."

"Well, you said to wear something pretty. You clean up pretty well yourself," she replies with a shy smile. I grin

"Yeah, well, I do my best.," I say with a chuckle. "Now, are you ready for what's going to be the best night of your life?" I ask her in a completely serious tone.

"Yes," she answers without hesitating.

"Very good. Now, shall we?" I say in my best Capitol accent. She giggles.

"Yes, I believe that we shall," she replies in the same accent. I don't really know what to do, and there's another one of those painfully awkward moments we seem to share so often. Finally, I put on my big-boy pants and reach for her hand. She takes it almost instantly.

And with that, we're off.

**A/N: Not happy at all with my ending, but I wanted to get this out tonight. Next chapter will be Madge's POV from when Gale leaves her house until when they meet before dinner, and I'll hopefully have it up within the next few days. Please review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY. It has been just a day short of a month since I updated! I can't even express how sorry I am! But hopefully, this chapter will suffice until I can finish the next chapter, which will be a little more interesting. As promised, this chapter is Madge's POV on what happened between Gale leaving her house and meeting up with him for their little date.**

**I also would like to apologize for the poor editing/proof reading on my part when it comes to this story. I went back (of course, after publishing) and saw that the third chapter was A TOTAL MESS. I am so sorry! The program I use to write doesn't have an extensive spelling/grammar check system, so I do my best to catch my errors on my own time, but I'm far from perfect. Needless to say, this chapter may still be sprinkled with errors, but I did my best.**

** Unfortunately, I was so worried about getting this up that I didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked to in some parts. So I hate to say that this chapter will be shorter than the previous ones. My apologies for the long A/N as well!  
><strong>

**Also, quick shout out to _Aella Leto_, your review made me smile! **

**_Happy reading!_**

Chapter 4.

_Madge POV_

When Gale's figure disappears into the ever-present cloud of coal dust, my minds starts going at a mile a minute. _Did that really just happen? Was Gale Hawthorne really just in my kitchen? I'm really happy that I brushed my hair before coming down to breakfast._ I run out of the kitchen and up to my bedroom. My socks cause me to slip a few times on the stairs, making me extra thankful for the wooden banister on the right hand wall. I can't risk my mother or Pauline seeing me, with my cheeks still red from blushing.

I slam the door to my bedroom behind me, not thinking about being courteous to anyone else at home. For a minute, I stand with my back pressed against the door with my hands holding the door in place. I feel like one of those women with big hair and red lips in those Capitol shows that Pauline likes to watch. Soap something-or-others.

Once I catch my breath, I calmly walk across the room to my walk in closet. There's a tiny clock on the wall next to my closet door. 12:18, it reads. I have to meet Gale at the Seam-Town border at seven. Which means I need to leave my house at six. So I have about five hours and forty two minutes to get ready, I think. Well, now it is more like five hours forty one minutes. Oh, well.

I scan over the vast array of clothes hanging up in the closet and place my hands on my hips. The first thing I think of when I see all of my outfit choices is how lucky I am. It's a bitter sweet feeling, I'm glad I have nice things, but I don't want to be living in luxury when the rest of the district is barely getting by. I swallow down the lump that has formed in my throat and get down to business. The real issue at hand: Should I go flirty and fun? Smart and sophisticated? Rich girl? Poor girl? And what about shoes? Do I dress for comfort, style, or to impress? So many decisions, so little time. I decide to mix flirty and fun with smart and sophisticated. My favorite flowy blue skirt and my professional-looking white blouse.

If I do my hair now, I'll wind up sitting around the house for four hours looking pretty with nowhere to go and nothing to do except daydream and count down the minutes. I lay the outfit on my king size bed and take a step back, giving the outfit a once-over. I decide it will work just fine. With a hint of a smile on my face, I clap twice, shutting off the lights, and go downstairs.

"Made, honey! You need to be a little quieter coming down those stairs! Your mother needs her sleep," Pauline chides as I clamber into the kitchen.

"Sorry, Pauline," I say, grabbing an orange out of the bowl on the table. She sits at the head of the table, drinking a cup of tea and watching some Capitol television show. A quick look at the screen confirms that it's one of her 'soaps'. I open my mouth to ask her why they're called that, but she raises a ringer, as if to say 'hold on', never taking her eyes off of the screen. I notice that she's sitting in the exact spot that Gale was just a little while ago. My goodness, he looked good today. Too good, especially for being whipped within an inch of his life not too long ago. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the middle aged woman lower her finger. A few dramatic piano chords sound out and the screen goes black.

"Yes, darling. What's up?" she asks, taking a long sip of her tea.

"What?" I say, forgetting what we were talking about to begin with.

"You were going to ask me something, what was it?" she responds, giving me a questioning look. To be honest, I can't remember what I was going to ask, but I don't tell her that. Instead, I blurt out,

"Galeaskedmeonadate," speaking so fast the words slur together. Her eyes snap to attention and she looks surprised. My hands fly to my mouth, I can not believe that I just said that out loud.

"_Who_ asked you on a _what_?" Pauline's eyebrows have shot so far up, I'm surprised that I can still see them. I drop the orange back into the bowl, knowing that this will be a long talk. Before I answer, I push back my chair, sigh, and pour myself a cup of tea. I slump into a seat across from her at the table with a groan.

"Gale Hawthorne. You know, my visitor this morning? He asked me to let him show me a good time," I say the last part with a hint of sarcasm in my voice. Yes, I do like Gale. But he's never said more than "ten coins" to me before he was whipped, and now he wants to take me to do who-knows-what? For all I know, we're going hunting…

Despite the nagging in my head, I take a long drink of the scalding tea and tell Pauline about everything- the whipping, the morphling, the cabinet. When I finish, I expect her to launch into a spiel about the Seam boys and how I need to respect myself, I'm barely seventeen, blahblahblah. Instead, she just chuckles quietly and says,

"Well, it seems to me like you've got yourself an admirer."

"That's what I'm thinking. So, what do you think?" I ask nervously, still waiting for the lecture. When Pauline is silent for a minute, I begin to wonder if she's mad at me for accepting Gale's invitation. Another minute of silence and I have to ask myself if I came off as desperate or un-classy in anyway. Pauline smiles at me after I begin to squirm in my seat. Her dark features make me wonder exactly how gorgeous she was when she was my age, which must have been about twenty or so years ago.

"I think you should go for it," she grins.

"You think I should what?" I ask, leaning forward.

"Do it, Madge. How many times in your life has a boy voluntarily taken you out?" she asks. I raise my eyebrows at her, slightly hurt at what she's implying, she reaches across the table and grabs my hand.

"Now, darling, you know I didn't mean it like that. But do think about what I'm saying. I think you should go out with him tonight. What's the worst thing that happens? You have to suffer through several hours of an uncomfortable date. But what if something clicks between you two? You won't know unless you try." Damn, Pauline's good at that.

I think for a minute-she's completely right…worst case scenario, it's awkward and I ditch early. Best case, I spend some time with the guy who I've been secretly crushing on for the longest time, and _maybe_ it turns into more than a little crush.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll go with him tonight!" I exclaim, suddenly excited.

"That's great, honey. I'm glad. Now, I need you to run an errand for me. Can you stop off at the Justice Building some time before you leave tonight and have your father sign these papers? Head Peacekeeper Thread dropped them off this morning, but your father had already left." She hands me a pile of papers, about an inch thick..

"Sure thing. I need some hair pins or something, can you get me some?" I ask Pauline. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. "Uh, actually, I think I'll just stop and get them when I'm out," I say quickly, trying to cover for my repulsive rich girl comment. It works, because Pauline smiles again, and turns the television back on. I take that as my cue to leave.

Five hours later, I'm showered and dressed. I used a hot rod-like tool I found in mother's bathroom to make my hair look special, and pulled the soft curls up and secured them with two wooden sticks. The man at the beauty supply store called them chopsticks, but I don't even know what that means. It's cold out, so I grab my wool jacket and slip my stocking-clad legs into a pair of fur lined boots. With a reassuring glance from Pauline and a quick once-over in the mirror, I walk out the door into the cold winter air.

It takes me about an hour to walk to the Seam-Town border, but I don't mind the trek. I love passing children playing in the grey-tinged snow and the looks on their faces when they recognize their miner fathers shuffling home from their jobs, covered in coal dust. Before I know it, I'm only a block away from our meeting spot. As I turn the corner, I see Gale, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

He looks great.

"Wow," he says when I approach him.

"Is it too much? Do I have something in my hair? What is it?" I say, extremely worries I've done something wrong already, and we're not even five minutes into our "date".

"It's just…you look really nice, Madge."

"Well, you said to wear something pretty. You clean up pretty well yourself," I reply. I catch him grinning, and I do the same, very happy to hear he thinks I look good.

"Yeah, well, I do my best," he replies with the little chuckle that makes my heart lurch. "Now, are you ready for what's going to be the best night of your life?"he asks.

"Yes," I say. It's now or never.

"Very good. Now, shall we?" He says in an almost flawless Capitol accent. I let a small giggle escape my lips before I can stop it.

"Yes, I believe that we shall," I reply in what is definitely a poor attempt at the same accent. I don't really know what to do, and I can sense that he doesn't either. After a minute of horrible awkwardness, he reaches for my hand. I take it without thinking, smiling to myself.

This is going to be a good night.

**A/N: Not happy with this ending either, but I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer. Again, SO sorry for the wait and short chapter! I think I'm going to have another chapter up VERY soon! *hint, hint* And this time, I won't make you wait a month for it! If you read this, please review! I need to know if I still have readers :) See ya soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope you enjoy it, I think you will :)**

Chapter 5.

_Madge POV_

"Hey, Gale? Um, where are we going?" I ask. We have been walking for a few minutes in silence. The sky is a half hour from being pitch-black, and we are in a part of the Seam that I have never been through before. I instantly think of Casey Jo Miller. Her father's the tailor and her mother used to star in a Capitol television show before she moved to Twelve. Casey Jo has the idea in her head that just because her parents have more money than about everyone in the seam combined, she can call the Seam the Sleazy Seam.

"This restaurant I heard of... from, uh, a co-worker. Hope you're hungry," he replies, a hint of a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"Sounds great to me. Uh, where are we going? I don't recall there being any restaurants over in the Sle-….this part of the district," I say, remembering my manners. The last thing I need is to come off as a snotty Town girl with a foul mouth.

"There aren't, actually. You see, if we walk through the Seam and cut around the slag heap, its, uh, faster than if we walk through Town. The restaurant is called Salt," he says hesitantly.

I can't contain my laughter. A short, feminine laugh bubbles up and escapes my lips.

"How in the world do you know that?" I can't help but ask.

"What, the restaurant name?" he looks at me, obviously confused.

"No, the Seam short-cut. What makes this way shorter?" I ask, not so much suspicious, just trying to make conversation.

"Oh. Well, uh, there's a lot of Peacekeepers out there in Town, so we would have to walk on official roads and, uh, worry about crossing at designated times," he explains. I have to admit, now I'm beginning to feel a little suspicious.

"Makes sense."

"Hey, Madge?" he says.

"Hmm?"

"Can we stop walking for a sec? We have some time before we need to be at the restaurant."

"Oh. Uh, sure. I guess?" I say, completely confused, but I stop. For a boy who has been on daily hunting excursions since the age of fourteen, I would like to think that he's able to walk for more than a mile without needing a break. I don't voice my opinion on this matter though. I _really _don't want to screw anything up. He squeezes my hand and smiles, then takes a step so we're standing face-to-face. Well, more like face-to-neck. _Has Gale always been this tall? And not to mention good-looking... _I wonder as he looks down at me.

"Listen, Madge. I just wanted to thank you again for that morphling. Wow, uh, I don't know what there is to say to you that would ever make you realize how, uh, thankful I am."

"I told you, Gale. It wasn't a big deal at all, I swear."

"No, you're missing the point. What you did probably saved my life."

"Don't be silly, of course it didn't."

"A few moments before the morphling knocked me out, I heard Mrs. E tell my mom I didn't have much time left. Do the math," he says with a sad smile on his face. "No one has ever done something like that for me, Madge."

"I couldn't stand off to the side and just do nothing," I say

"Why not?" he asks.

"B-because I…"

"Because you what?" he pushes.

"Nothing. You know what, never mind," I say, but I can feel the blush creeping up my neck.

"Madge, I have to apologize. I have been nothing but nasty to you for the past year or so, and it was completely uncalled for. You risked your life running through a blizzard at the prospect of saving mine. You do realize that, right? I hate to say it, but a week ago, I wouldn't have done anything like that for you, I mean I didn't ever consider us friends."

"Neither did I. But watching someone get whipped changes you, Gale. It sounds ridiculous, but it really does. It's terrifying, thinking that you're about to watch someone you know personally be slaughtered in front of you. Hands down the worst thing I've ever seen, and the fact that it was you made it about ten times worse," _Oh, crap. Did I seriously just say that?_

"What do you mean, the fact that it was me made it about ten times worse?" He says with a smile.

"Uh, nothing. I mean, just cause I knew you and all," I try to recover from my slip, but I think he's caught on.

"Oh, yeah?" His grin is so big I think my heart's going to shatter from beating so fast.

"Yeah."

"I'm not buying that, Madge."

"I know."

"Alrighty then. As long we're on the same page."

I just nod in response. For a second, I think he's going to kiss me, he's so close. Instead he wraps his arms around me and gives me the most awkward hug ever. It's still pretty nice, though.

"Thanks, Madge. I'm serious, I owe you big time."

"You're welcome, Gale."

Then, he does something that worries me a little bit. Before stepping onto the street from our little forest, he looks both ways at least six times, as if he's looking for possible threats.

Contrary to popular belief, I have been out with boys in the past. I have the feeling in my gut right now that I did whenever I asked about a second date and the boys always went quiet and disappeared for a week or two. Didn't fool me then, Gale can't fool me now.

"Stop," I say and plant my feet firmly on the ground. He immediately stops walking and lets go of my hand.

"Everything okay?" He looks concerned.

"No, no it is not. Gale, tell me why we're walking through the Seam and not Town," I demand.

"I told you, it's faster."

"Try again. By taking us this way, you've practically doubled our walk time. Salt is two blocks from the border, I didn't move here yesterday," I say. My lips form a straight line.

He runs a hand through his hair before responding, giving it a tousled look that I really, really like. I push the thought out of my head, however, because I remember that I'm supposed to be angry with him."I don't know what you mean, Madge."

"Gale, I'm not dumb. Why are we walking this way? If you just tell me, we can keep going," I'm starting to get angry with him.

"What are you talking about?" he replies, insisting on dragging this out.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're walking me through the Seam because there's no streetlights here. No one's on the streets here; everyone's in Town, which, by the way, is well-lit. Coincidence?" I say. Gale is silent, just staring at me with his _gorgeous_ brown eyes. When he doesn't respond, I continue, "Let me guess? You planned on sneaking through the Seam, slipping into the restaurant through a back entrance, and sitting in a dimly- lit booth, right?" I'm greeted with another round of silence. "Gale. I'm talking to you. I'm right, aren't I? That was exactly your plan."

This time, instead of ignoring me, he just nods. For a second, I can hear my heart beating in my ears. The whole world seems far off, like I'm in a dream-like trance. I blink twice, and re-gain my composure.

"Why would you do that, Gale?" I ask, not wanting to hear his answer, but knowing that I need to know.

Silence.

"Gale, answer me!" I shout, furious with him. "Why the hell would you do that?"

More silence.

"You know what, Gale? Never mind. I know exactly why. You're embarrassed to be seen with me, right? You feel all cool taking the mayor's daughter out at first, but when it actually happens, you freeze up and try to hide. Worried that you'll be talked about? Or do you think Katniss will find out? Oh, no! I know! You're worried your reputation will be tarnished when people hear you actually have a heart under that tough-as-nails exterior you put on. You know what? I bet it's a combination of the three. You know, you can stop me if I'm wrong," I say, so angry and hurt.

No response.

"Just tell me that I'm wrong," I say, praying that I'm completely wrong and he really does like me as much as i like him. When he doesn't respond again, I feel my heart drop to my feet and the blood drain from my face. At first, I think I hear my heart split in two, but I realize that it's just snow crunching beneath his boots as he takes a step closer to me.

"You're wrong, Madge," he says, so quietly I can have to strain to hear him. With those three words, my heart jumps back into its proper position and my toes start tingling. There's a good chance it's from the cold, but I like to think its because of Gale.

He cups my face in his hands and looks me dead in the eye. I have to stand on my tiptoes to be level with him, but I do it without thinking, hands awkwardly at my sides. We're so close, I can feel his warm breath tickling my lips. His eyelashes flutter as he blinks and I can feel them brush my own.

"I can't do _this_ in the middle of Town," he whispers and closes the gap between us with his lips. For a minute, the world slips away. It's just me and Gale; nothing else matters but his lips on mine. His arms leave my face and wrap around my waist. I move my arms up around his neck, deepening the kiss. When we pull apart, his lips are red and swollen. His eyes twinkle with something I can only describe as happiness. It suits him well.

I smile at him, and grab his hand. We walk, hand in hand, for a minute or two in silence. Unlike every other time there's been a lapse in conversation, this time it isn't awkward at all. When the snow on the ground begins to gradually turn white, I know we're only a few minutes from leaving the Seam and entering Town. I decide to break the silence.

"You're right. You can't do that in Town," I say with a grin. Gale looks at me and chuckles.

"No, I most definitely cannot."

"Listen, Gale-" I begin to apologize before he presses a finger to my lips gingerly in and attempt to silence me.

"No, Made. Don't apologize. I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you feel like I was embarrassed to be with you," he takes his finger off of my lip, which I take as my cue to respond.

"I don't think it was so much of what you did as it was me. I've never had a guy take me somewhere and be proud of it. It's always just been dinner with his parents or mine. No one's ever even given me the benefit of the doubt."

"They're stupid, every last one of them," Gale says without hesitation. He grabs my other hand and squeezes. Then, he looks me in the eye, the look that makes me want to melt into a puddle of sunshine and happiness and Gale-ness. "They don't know what in the world they're missing, you know that?" he whispers. If I wasn't melting before, I sure am now.

"Thanks, Gale. It really means a lot," I say, a little of unsure of how to respond to something like that.

"But, you know what?"

"What?" I ask.

"I'm kind of glad none of those losers stuck around."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Why's that, Gale?"

"I can have you all to myself now," he says with what's possibly the most adorable grin I've ever seen on anyone. After a minute or two of just looking into each other's eyes, he clears his throat.

"Hey, Madge?"

"Hey, Gale?"

"Technically, we're still in the Seam."

"I know that. I'm pretty sure we missed dinner though."

"I couldn't care less about dinner, Madge."

"Why's that?" I ask, completely clueless about where this conversation is heading. It's hard to get a reservation at Salt if you're father's the mayor, I can't even imagine what Gale had to do to get this reservation. Now he's saying he couldn't care less? The kid needs his food…I need food, too. I hear my stomach grumble, confirming my most recent thoughts.

"I'd rather have you than food."

At first, it sounds a little bizarre until I realize what he's saying. _He'd rather have me than food? What the hell? Where is he taking me? What is he going to do to me? I thought I could trust him. I'm so hungry…what the-OH. _Suddenly, all of the pieces line up and I understand perfectly.

"Well, as you so conveniently pointed out, we _are _ still in the Seam," I say with a shy smile.

"Well, would you look at that? It would appear that we are," he raises his eyebrows and pulls me close once more.

**A/N: Hope you liked reading it as much as I loved writing it! Now, I'm a little concerned that I'm rushing this, especially their awkward realtionship-thing that's currently in the works. Please leave me a review, even if it's anon, I need to know what you all think :) Thanks so much to those reviewing and favoriting/alerting this story. Love you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6._

_MADGE POV_

I can tell it's early afternoon before I even open my eyes. I can barely make out the lingering smell of the coffee that Pauline must have made several hours ago. I  
>can hear birds chirping and the curtains rustling as a light breeze blows through my open window.<p>

I force my eyes open, throw off my duvet, and plant my feet firmly on the floor. With a yawn, I shuffle to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Before I step in, I look in the mirror. Something catches my eye. Upon further inspection, I see a small pink mark on the left side of my neck. _Oh, no. _I run my hand over it, praying it's smudged lipstick or something-_anything_ other than what I think it is. I scrub at the mark with my bare hands. It isn't lipstick.

I throw back the curtain and step into the shower before I scream. I wash my body and my mind races. As I rinse the shampoo from my hair, I run through possible ways to hide the mark. A bandage? No, that'll just draw attention and unwanted questions. A scarf? Maybe, but I can't wear one around the house all day. A turtleneck? Definitely not, turtlenecks make my face look fat.

I slather conditioner onto my hair with a groan. When did my life become so complicated? Only last year, I was happy. Everything was perfect. As soon as Prim Everdeen's name was pulled from the reaping ball, everything went to hell. Katniss and Peeta went to the Games. More Peacekeepers were sent to Twelve. Miners' hours soared, their pay dropped. Katniss and Peeta came back from the Games. More Peacekeepers. Gale was whipped. Gale asked me out. Gale and I made out. _Gale gave me a hickey._

I rinse my hair again and shut off the shower. I step out, wrapping a fluffy white towel around myself, tucking the ends under my arms. Hoping for a miracle, I pull my wet hair to the side and wipe the steam off of the mirror. It's still there. _Of course it is, Madge. Did you really think these things go away in ten minutes? _I think to myself. In fact, it's taken on a blue color and is looking even meaner than before. How could I have let this happen?

_Calm down. _I try to tell myself. I mean, it's not like I'm pregnant or anything. It's just a little hickey. There's no doubt Pauline will notice, though. I trudge into my room and throw on fresh clothes. I towel dry my hair and run a comb through it. Leaning my head out the door, I scan the hallway for our dutiful housekeeper. No sign of her. "Hey, Pauline?" I call, just for good measure. Nothing. I scamper down the hallway and into the bathroom again. I touch my finger to the silver pad on the wall, and count to three. When I take my finger away, my hair is dry and shiny, falling on my shoulders in natural waves.

I make the decision to plait it, something I rarely do. I just have to cover this thing, My appearance doesn't matter today. Plus, we have winter recess for another week, which should be enough time for my little problem to resolve itself. I wind up un-doing and re-doing the plait several times, but finally I get it in such a way that the mark is hidden from every angle. Satisfied, I touch my finger to the red pad beneath the silver one, shutting off the electricity in the bathroom.

I walk downstairs, wondering why my house is so quiet at this hour. A quick glance at the clock tells me that it's a few minutes after two. A note on the counter reads, _Gone to Town for groceries, be back by dinner. _ In Pauline's careful hand. At first, I'm a little relieved. This note gives me a few extra hours to come up with a good excuse for my little friend on my neck. When I read it over again, my heart sinks a little bit. Daddy's no doubt at the Justice Building, and Mother's probably out cold. With Pauline gone, I pretty much have the house to myself for a few hours.

I make myself a meal of left over chicken breast, apple slices, and tea and slip on my coat and gloves. Even though it's freezing outside, I decide to sit on the back porch. As I eat, I watch the scarce wildlife in my backyard. On one side of the yard, a squirrel scampers from tree to tree, leaving small tracks in the snow. On the other side, a bird touches down onto a slender tree branch and hops along to its nest. I always wondered how the birds were able to stand the cold during the winter here in Twelve. Daddy told me once that in the Capitol, when it gets cold, all of the birds fly away and come back when it's warm again. I guess in Twelve, they have to stay; there's no where else to go, no possible way to escape. When I finish eating, I bring my plate and mug inside and set them in the sink.

I grab the thick reading book I see sitting on the table and walk back outside. I'm only a few pages into it when I hear the gate creak open. I ignore it, thinking that the light breeze blew it open, maybe a stray cat made its way over from the Seam. I keep reading. A good ten minutes pass before I feel a presence behind me. Slowly, I set the book down on the white wooden porch and turn around.

"Gale, what the-" I gasp, clutching my heart. I was expecting Mother, Pauline, a Peacekeeper even. Seeing Gale standing there scared the daylights out of me. Yet, here he is -leaning against the white beam that supports the porch. He looks great. He must have come from the mines, because he's dressed in gray coveralls and there's coal dust covering his worn leather boots. He has un-buckled the coveralls and the top half folds over at his waist, leaving nothing but a black undershirt separating his toned chest from the cold winter air.

"Whoa, Madge. Calm down there. Just me," he says, holding his hands up defensively.

"Sorry, you scared me." My heart is still racing, I can hear my pulse thumping in my ears.

"Sorry bout that. I just wanted to come drop off your hair things," he says, holding up the wooden "chopsticks" I used to secure my curls last night. I feel the blush creeping up my neck as I remember how they managed to come free last night.

"Oh, uh, thanks." I take them from his hands.

"Sure thing."

I told myself I wasn't going to tell him, but now that he's standing right in front of me, looking _really _handsome, I'm beginning to rethink the idea.

"Hey, can I show you something?" I say timidly.

"Of course," He shoves his hands into his pockets and re-crosses his legs casually. _How is he not cold?_ I think.

I smile and pull off my gloves. I set them on the chair I was sitting in and pull the band off of the end of the plait I worked so hard on earlier. I run my fingers top to bottom, unraveling my blond waves into a tangled mess. I gather my hair and slide it over to the right side of my neck and turn my head away from him.

He gasps.

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes."

"I'm sorry." he looks embarrassed more than anything. His cheeks take on a bright red and he shifts against the pole.

"Yeah." I don't want it to come off like this is his fault, but I don't know what else to say.

"Wow. Uh. Guess we got carried away?" he uncrosses his legs and stands up straight.

"That's an understatement."

"Uh, that's pretty angry-looking." he removes his hands from his pockets and crosses his tan arms. _How are they so tan, even in the winter?_ I wonder.

"Yup. It's been getting worse since I woke up."

He's silent.

"An ugly reminder of a beautiful night..." I murmur.

There's a minute of silence, then Gale starts to chuckle. I look at him, thoroughly confused, and a little hurt. Although, that last line was cheesy on my behalf. _Is he laughing at me? It's not my fault!  
><em>

"Madge, I'm really sorry. But you have to admit, it is kind of funny."

"How's that?" I say, kind of annoyed that he's able to find humor in this horribly grave situation. He gave me a hickey for crying out loud!

"Well, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Well, I mean, you're so shy and you come off as an innocent daddy's girl-" he says, but I cut him off.

"Excuse me? I'm _not_ a daddy's girl and I'm far from innocent."

"Let me finish," he smiles and tucks a lock of blond hair behind my ear. "I was just saying, it's kind of funny how the first time we do something like that, you wind up with that _thing _on your neck." I take a minute to really think about what he's saying and I realize that it is a little funny. Extremely ironic, but still funny.

"Now that you mention it, I guess it is a little funny," I say with a bashful smile.

"So, anyway. I just wanted to drop those off," he gestures to the wooden sticks in my hand.

"Thanks, Gale. It was sweet of you. Do you have some time? Do you want to come in? I have the house to myself…"

It must have come off to be much more suggestive than I intended. I thought I was minding my manners and asking him in, but his eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up his forehead.

"Uh, I don't really do that sort of thing, despite those nasty slag heap rumors," he looks very uncomfortable. At first I'm confused, but then I realize what he means.

"Oh my gosh, no! I didn't mean it like that, seriously! I was just seeing if you wanted to come in."

He laughs, the sound bubbling up and splitting the tension between us. I can't contain my own laughter, and before I know it, we're both laughing and struggling to catch our breath. When we both settle down, he looks me in the eye.

"I don't know what was so funny about that," I say with a hiccup. He just shakes his head and smiles.

I decide to try again- "Gale would you like to come in and sit at the table with me?"

"Why, yes, Madge. I believe that would fit my fancy." he says in an accent, mocking my formality. I lead him into the house and pour two glasses of water. I slide his across the table and take a seat across from him.

We start talking about basic things- school mostly. Gale isn't much of a talker, and when I can get a decent sentence or two out of him, I usually come up with a lame response. It turns out that I'm the one doing most of the talking and he just sips his water and nods occasionally. Somehow, we get on the topic of the Capitol. At first, it's just idle chit-chat about how they're terrible, how they corrupt Panem, blahblahblah.

"I wish I could just run away," I say. He scoffs.

"Is there a problem?" I say, a hint of accusation in my voice.

"No, but I think it's time for me to leave," he says.

My heart sinks into my boots. I love talking to Gale. Plus, as soon as he leaves, I'll be all alone again.

"What? Why?"

"Thanks for everything, Madge. I guess I'll see you around," he says as he moves toward the door.

_I'll see you around._ A classic line I know all too well. It translates into, "Madge, I don't want to date you, but I don't want to offend you because I know your father could raise a finger and have me chopped into tiny pieces. And I most definitely will not see you around."

"Gale, wait!" I yell after him and stand up. He pivots and turns to face me.

"What did I do? Why are you acting like this?" I ask, desperate for him to stay. I'm sick of people walking out of my life.

"Nothing Madge, I just don't think _this_ is going to work out," he gestures between us.

"But why? I don't understand!" I say, thoroughly confused.

"That's exactly it-you don't understand. You don't understand anything outside of your comfort zone. Wherever you go, there's always been someone to help you and someone to do the dirty work for you. The real world is a scary, corrupt place and you'll probably never have to set foot in it. You sit here saying you wish you could run away- it isn't that easy, Madge! What in the world could you possibly want to run away from? _Anyone_ in the District would kill to be Madge Undersee. Tell me exactly why you want to run away, huh? I can't wait to hear this one."

I've never heard him talk to much in my life. His harsh, venomous words slice through the air and swirl around my brain. I feel the tears coming on, but I blink them back and take a deep breath.

"Go home, Gale. Since that's all you know how to do."

"What's that?"

"Abandon people."

His eyes glow with a mix of anger and hurt. For a moment, I allow myself to be foolish enough to think he'll fight for me-to not walk out on this potential relationship. I realize, with an ache in my chest, that my moment's over when he turns and walks out the door.

I sink into the nearest chair and let the tears start falling.

**A/N: I had SO much fun with this chapter, despite the total change towards the end. Please continue to let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

MADGE POV

It's been three months since Gale left my kitchen. Three months since we kissed, three months since we talked, three months since we even looked at each other. It has been the worst, most agonizing three months of my life.

It's a Tuesday, and_ Spring has sprung_, as Pauline likes to say. The sun is warmer than it has been in a while, but there's still a slight chill to the air. Winter recess ended last week, and today is the first day back at school. Katniss is a victor, so she technically doesn't have to go to school, but she walks Prim to the front gate, just like old times.

I meet up with them on the way to school, in front of the bakery. I recognize Prim's blond ponytail from down the block, tied with a lilac ribbon. Her face is pressed against the display window, her small hands most definitely leaving marks on the same window. She turns to talk to Katniss, but she sees me.

"Madge! Hey, Madge!" she unlatches herself from the window and runs my way, barreling into me and giving me the warmest hug I've had in about three months. I say hello to her, and she grabs my hand, pulling me over to where Katniss stands in front of the bakery. Katniss and I exchange greetings, even though we saw each other several times over recess. I tried teaching her to play the piano, but she was dreadful at it. She tried taking me to the woods, but I had some difficulties.

The walk to school is pretty quiet, and it only takes a few more minutes. Before we drop Prim at the lower school entrance, she makes a remark that makes me stop dead in my tracks.

"Hey, Katniss? Will Gale be at school today?" she asks, her voice full of innocence.

"I think so. He has until the beginning of the summer season before he has to return to work in the mines. So he should be here today, I'm actually surprised we didn't run into him on the way over here."

I, personally, am thankful we didn't run into him. However, the first person I see when I round the corner to get to the upper school entrance, of course, is none other than Gale.

I avert my eyes and try to shuffle along to class, but he sees me. I don't expect him to stop me, he's not that type of guy. He proves me wrong.

"Madge, hey! Wait up!" he yells down the hallway after me.

I don't stop.

He catches up to me in a few seconds, and grabs my arm in an effort to get me to turn around and face him. It works, and I find myself looking into two sad, regret-filled eyes.

"Gale, not now. Not here."

"Madge, please. We need to talk."

I lean in towards him.

"Gale, you're only making things worse. Stop it. Go to class. We can do this some other time, but not here. If people weren't talking before, they certainly are now. Just go." I hiss.

His face hardens.

"Madge, come on. Is it the Seam-Town thing? People stopped caring about that with Peeta and Katniss. Please talk to me." he begs.

"No."

And with that, I pull my arm from his grip and hurry to class.

The rest of the morning is a blur of boring classes and short naps. I keep trying to push the events of the beginning of the day from my mind, but I find it impossible. After my history class, I head over to the lunch room. Before the winter recess, I didn't have anyone to sit with, because Katniss wasn't in school.

Today, I sit alone at my usual table. I soon see Prim skipping over, hand-in-hand with a friend.

"Hi, Madge! This is Amber, she's my best friend!" she squeals.

"Hello Amber." I recognize the little girl next to Prim- I think she lived next to the Everdeens. before they moved to the Victor's Village.

"Can we sit with you?" Prim asks. I nod, and the two girls plop onto the metal bench. They each pull a small burlap bag out of their knapsacks, and pill the contents on the table.

"I'll give you my apple for your cinnamon stick!"

"If you get my cinnamon stick, I get your apple and you have to do my mathematics homework tonight?"

"Deal!"

The two girls go back and forth like that, trading and bantering. It's nice to have someone to sit with, but I miss having someone a little closer to my age.

_It's as if he can read my freaking mind._

"Hey Madge, Prim, Amber. Mind if I sit here?"

It's Gale.

I stare at my hands, keeping my mouth shut. But Prim, of course, is delighted to have another guest and accepts right away. There's an uncomfortable silence between me and Gale, but the girls are off in their little world making up hand games and munching on their lunches happily.

"Can we talk now?" he asks.

"No." I reply, suddenly furious.

He makes a noise of frustration and runs a hand through his hair.

"Fine. But we are going to talk, Madge, right?"

"Right."

He looks hurt, stressed, and a little strung-out. I give him a weak smile and get up. I throw out my garbage and walk out of the lunch room, fighting with myself  
>to keep my eyes trained in front of me. It works, and I don't look back.<p>

After lunch, I sit through my last classes with a grimace on my face. I'm thankful that no one asks me to speak or participate in anything. A bell rings out from the hallway, signaling the end of the school day.

I rush to the east entrance, the closest exit to my house. I make it out in record time, and begin the walk to my house. I'm rounding the corner when I hear someone call my name.

"Madge!" It's Katniss. She's standing next to Prim, waving at me. I walk over to the two girls.

"I need a favor. Would you be able to swing these by the bakery for me on your way home?" She places a large stack of papers in my hands with a smile.

"Sure thing."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver. I'm walking Prim into the Seam to get some things from the old house. It has to be there by the end of the work day." Katniss never used to talk this much before the Games. She and I always had a sort of quiet friendship. When she got back from the Capitol, she started opening up to me when she would take me into the woods and when I tried to teach her piano.

I nod, and flash a somewhat forced smile at the little girl to her left.

"No problem. I'll see you both tomorrow. Prim, it was nice eating lunch with you today."

I smile again and turn to walk away. Prim and Katniss walk the other way, Prim chattering on about lunch today.

The little bell on the door tinkles as I walk into the bakery. Mixed smells of yeast, icing, and sugar mingle in the air. I see a familiar head of blond hair behind the counter.

"Peeta!" I exclaim. He looks up, smiling. He gets up form his seat behind the cash register and comes around the display case. I cross over to him and he wraps me in a hug.

"I haven't seen you since I got back from the Victory Tour, Madge!" He says.

"I know, it's terrible! I'm so sorry. I've been meaning to stop in for the longest time, but my mother hasn't been well lately, so I spent a good deal of my school break tending to her and helping Pauline around the house," I explain, even though there's no excuse-it's been months, for crying out loud!

"No worries," he says with a warm smile.

"Well, I'm hear to drop these off on Katniss's behalf."

He takes the papers form my hands and sifts through them.

"Thanks, Madge. Do you have time for a cup of tea? My mother is fighting a nasty cough and my brothers and father are at the trains unloading fresh supplies," he explains.

"Absolutely."

Peeta leads me into the back of the bakery, and pours two mugs of hot water from the kettle on the stove. He drops a tea leaf into each cup, and we sit at the  
>table with the cups, waiting for the tea to steep.<p>

"So, Peeta, now that you're a victor, you don't have to go to school or anything. How have you been keeping busy?" I ask, feeling like one of the reporters on a Capitol news show.

"I think the better question is: how have you been keeping busy?" His eyes suggest he knows something he's not supposed to.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but since it's involving you, I find it only fair," he takes a deep breath.

"What are you talking about?" I'm starting to worry.

"Well, I kept meaning to ask you about it, but I never found the time. I guess now is as good a time as ever. Okay, here goes- Katniss told me you and Gale were sneaking around the Seam."

"Katniss told you _what_?" I ask, taken aback.

"She was in the Seam a few months ago, and she saw you and Gale there. It was late at night though, so she could be mistaken, but she said you guys were fighting. Then whispering. Then kissing."

I'm shocked. I can't believe Katniss never mentioned it to me! Oh, goodness. This is so embarrassing. If Katniss knows, and told Peeta, who else knows?

"I-I-I don't know what to say," I stammer.

"Was it you? And Gale?"

I nod, feeling the fire burning in my cheeks. Peeta lets out a low whistle, then reaches for his cup of tea. He uses a spoon to fish out the loose leaf, and offers me the spoon so I can do the same to my cup.

I'm thankful for the distraction, it gives me a minute to collect my thoughts and formulate a possible response.

"You okay?" he asks, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I guess. Just a little surprised. It's just…I mean…I can't believe Katniss didn't ask me about it." I admit.

He pats my hand reassuringly.

"I'm sure Katniss didn't mean it like that, or anything. You know her, she's not very vocal. Plus, no matter how many times she denies it, she'll always have a place in her heart for Gale."

My palms start to sweat. I hadn't thought about that too much, except for when I thought Gale was hiding our (extremely short) relationship. I want to tell Peeta to stop, but my throat has closed due to the massive lump blocking my windpipe. I swallow, palms still slick with sweat.

"I mean, I expected her to be angry, but she was more hurt than anything. She just kept talking about how she couldn't believe it. If that wasn't bad enough for her, she went to see Gale the next morning. Told him she wouldn't be friends with him if he kept seeing you. He told her he didn't care, he was on his way to see you. Said he thought you guys had something special."

There it is again- the all-to-familiar feel of tears welling in my eyes.

"So, I assume everything's good with you and Gale? I mean, it's been like three months since Katniss saw you guys, I assume you're still seeing each other?"

I shake my head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Madge."

Finally, I find my voice.

"I ruined it. I ruined everything, Peeta! I should have never agreed to go out with him. I knew the Seam-Town thing was pre-destined to end badly, but I went ahead anyway. God, I'm so stupid! We fought because of _me._ He wouldn't have left if I just kept my mouth shut!" I'm crying now- big, fat tears that run all the way to my chin. Peeta just stares at me. I think I've stunned the poor boy. I bet _Katniss _never cries in front of him. Never cries in front of Gale, either.

"I- I let him walk out on me! I _told _him to walk out on me! And he thought we had something special? God, he's right, I am naïve." I let all of the pain I've built up over the last three months come pouring out.

"Today, he kept trying to talk to me, and I kept ignoring him and telling him no. Why am I such an idiot? I ruined everything, Peeta. We had something great going on, and I threw it out the window! I should have fought for him! But I didn't, I just kept hoping he would fight for me." I sniffle.

Peeta decides to speak up.

"Shh, Madge. It's alright. I know what you're feeling, I've felt that way with Katniss more times that I can possibly count. If it's love, it _will_ work out in the end. Do you love him?"

"I-I don't know. We only went on one official date, but it was a really special type of date. And then, the next day, he came over and we fought. But when he left, I felt empty. I missed him so much, I still miss him. It's like a part of me is missing." I explain, even though it sounds totally cheesy.

"You have to talk to him, Madge. Tell him what you told me. Make it okay again. Trust me, it's the only way to make the hurt go away." His eyes soften.

I nod, knowing that he's 100% right. But I make the mistake of letting myself think it over for too long.

"But…he doesn't want me back," I say.

"How do you know that?" he asks.

"He didn't fight for me. He didn't try to see me at all during those three months. Only today. I feel that if he really did want to make this work, he would have gone after me. He just let it all go, and so did I."

"Listen Madge. There's one lesson my father taught me very early in life, and not a day goes by when I don't see an example of it. _Boys are stupid_. We don't know what we want, and when we figure out what we do want, we don't act on it. We don't realize we have to meet you half way, we just go right ahead being stupid. I'm saying we because I do it too. We're all the same: stupid, arrogant, smelly boys," he says with a grin.

"But what if Gale and I never fought? Would we be together? It's been killing me."

"Life is full of "what if"s-I think about them all the time..what if I was born on the other side of the border? What if I wasn't reaped? What if I died in the Games? They used to keep me up at night, trying to figure out how my life would have turned out if one thing happened. After a while of that nonsense, I realized that the only thing that matters is what did happen. Yeah, it's nice to think about what if we were Capitol citizens, but we aren't, and there's nothing we can do to change it. And yes, it's nice to fantasize about life if you and Gale never fought. But you did, and there's no way around it. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you need this reality check just as much as I did once."

I have no idea what to say to him. For a minute, I just stare at him, wanting to scrunch my nose if irritation. I hate how right he is.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I admit.

"Go now, Madge. Find him and make it okay again. You owe it to yourself."

"Thanks, Peeta. I mean it," I say, wiping my eyes with my shirt sleeve. It's very un-ladylike, but mother isn't here to scold me on my manners. He pushes his chair back and takes my cup to the sink. He gives me a friendly, reassuring hug and I grab my knapsack and my coat and walk out of the bakery, the bell tinkling behind me.

**A/N: Sorry, not much excitement in this chapter. I hate to say it, but it was kind of a filler chapter. I PROMISE the next chapter will be better! Also, a big thank you to all of you favoriting and alerting. Happy holidays to all of you, whatever you celebrate. I will be busy for the next week-ish so I can't promise a quick update, even though I'm already working on the next chapter. I'll do my best to squeeze it in sometime, though. Happy holidays again! As always, please review! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: OH MY PEETA. Have you guys heard the Taylor Swift song "Safe and Sound" yet? It was released on the 22nd as part of **_**THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIE SOUNTRACK**_**! As you can probably tell, I'm extremely excited about this. CHECK IT OUT: youtube(dot)com/watch? v=w2v1N2q0sxs **

**Regarding the song, I think it would be perfect either when Peeta and Katniss are in the cave (broth/stew scenes, either works) OR when Katniss returns to the cave after the feast with her wound and Peeta has to take care of her. **

**Also, I said this chapter was going to take me some time, but (as cheesy as this sounds) I heard the song, put it on repeat, and pulled up the document. I busted out the rest of this chapter in a few hours, so it may seem a little hasty in some parts, but I wanted to post it before everything gets crazy tomorrow :) **

**Without further comment, here's Chapter 8…**

Chapter 8.

MADGE POV

Snow begins to fall as I walk from the bakery to my house, so I can drop off my knapsack and grab my heavier coat for the long walk I have. I leave Pauline a quick note saying I'll be back for dinner, and I set off for the border separating the Town from the Seam. I can see the gray ashy snow being covered with a fresh white layer, and it makes me smile. It makes me feel like something ugly can turn beautiful in a minute's time. I feel my heart falter as I think of it the other way- how something beautiful can turn ugly even faster.

I try to push the thought from my brain, but I can't. Instead, I busy myself by counting my steps. I start counting as I pass the school, which is pretty close to the border. I reach the official border line after fifty-two. I have to admit, I'm terrified to be going into the Seam alone, especially because it's almost dark outside. The only reason I keep walking is because of the small flurry of hope that things might work out between me and Gale.

I remember that he lives three blocks from Katniss's old house. I know I'm in the right stretch of the Seam, I just can't remember which house is his- they all look the same. I scan my memory for anything that will help me remember where Gale's house is. I remember on one of the days that Katniss took me into the woods with her; we cut through Gale's backyard to get to the fence faster. I remember the broken rocking horse in the yard, but that won't help me. Suddenly, I remember he lives on a corner lot.

The house right in front of me is on a corner, and looks vaguely familiar. The number is S5213, which means Seam #5213. The light snow fall has stopped, leaving everything looking fresh and innocent. I grimace, knowing that by tomorrow morning, it will be gray again.

I swallow my pride, take a deep breath, step out of the shadows and walk up to the stoop. I notice that there's no doorbell, which surprises me. There are doorbells on every house in Town, I wonder why not in the Seam.

Regardless, I swallow once more and knock on the door. After a moment, I hear footsteps on the other side of the door, and it swings open. Because, of course, my life is never simple, it isn't Gale. It's a young girl, about four or five years old. I assume she's his little sister.

"Hello," she says timidly.

"Hi, I'm Madge," I say.

"I'm Posy! This is the Hawthorne's house. Are you lost?" she asks innocently.

"No, I don't think so. I'm looking for Gale. Is he home?"

I hear a voice behind the door, it sounds like Gale. "Posy, who is it?"

"Someone named Madge. She's-" the little girl responds over her shoulder. But before she can finish, the door swings open, revealing a shirtless, disheveled looking Gale.

"Posy, go see if Mom needs help with dinner," he says dismissively, stepping onto the porch as the little girl scampers into the house happily.

"Hey," he says, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey," I reply. "Uh, can we talk?" I say, not sure what he's going to say.

"You had your chance, Madge," he says, eyes narrow. My heart plummets into my boots and it takes all of my willpower to swallow. "I'm kidding," he says with a grin. I breathe a sigh of relief._ He looks really good_, I think_._

He looks back into the house and then holds up a finger as if to say "hold on a minute". He disappears behind the door and returns a few seconds later wearing a gray tee shirt, the same jeans as earlier, and a pair of unlaced leather boots.

"Are you up for a short walk? I figure we can go to the Meadow and talk, everyone's home and it's a small house, not much privacy," he explains. I nod, and he closes the door behind us.

We don't speak as we walk the short distance to the Meadow. The grassy field isn't too far from his house, so the silence isn't too awkward. We walk through the grass for a minute, before stopping at a bench off to the side. He motions for me to sit, so I do, and he follows.

"So, Gale. I think it goes without saying that we need to talk," I begin.

He nods.

"Uh, would you mind if we keep walking? I'm really cold," I say sheepishly. He nods again, and we get up and start walking across the Meadow.

"So, let's talk. Would you like to start?" he says after a minute of silence. I nod.

"Well, that day we were at my house you asked me what would make me want to run away? I've been thinking a lot since then, and I decided that I'm going to be honest with you.'," I say, trying to steady my shaky voice.

_You don't understand._

_You're so naïve. _

_What in the world could you possibly want to run away from? _

_Tell me exactly why you want to run away, huh?_

His harsh words from months ago come rushing back to me, planting themselves at the front of my brain and opening the wounds again.

"Well, I'll start at the beginning. Twenty-five years ago, my mom's sister, Maysilee, was reaped as a tribute for the second Quarter Quell. She was killed in the Games. My mom was so upset, she basically stopped living. She stayed at home all day and blew off school. After a few weeks of this, the Peacekeepers weren't buying the excuses any more. They sent her to the Mayor, who sent her to the Capitol, where, as a punishment, they put a chip in her head that sent waves to her brain. These waves made her see her sister being murdered over and over and over. She lived with the chip for a few years until she and my dad married and I was born. A few years after he became Mayor, he had a doctor remove the chip. Ever since, she's had terrible migraines. There's nothing anyone can do to stop them."

I pause, scanning his face- no emotion. We've both stopped walking though, now we're standing in the middle of the Meadow, facing each other. He doesn't say anything, so I continue.

"However, she had me before the chip was removed. Because of this, I have a special memory. I can remember every single thing from my life. Sometimes, it's a blessing, but most of the time a curse. No matter how hard I try to forget, I see _everything. _I can still see Katniss and Peeta in the Games, I see our first date, our fight, everything. But they're small memories, easy to push out of my mind. The one that I can never shake is the whipping. I always see you being whipped, no matter how much I don't want to." I can feel hot tears in my eyes. I've never told my parents about my special memory; I knew that if I did, I would spend most of my life in a doctor's office.

He takes my hands in his and rubs them together reassuringly.

"Does it upset you? Seeing the whipping over and over, I mean." he asks sincerely.

"It's killing me." I admit.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers. I swallow the lump in my throat and let the first tear fall as he pulls me to his chest. It hadn't hit me exactly how much I've missed him until now. I cling to his shirt, sobbing, as he strokes my hair and tries to calm me down.

"Madge, I'm so sorry." he whispers. I try to ask him what for, but it just comes out as a jumble of half- sobs, half-words. Somehow, he understands what I'm saying.

"Everything. I'm sorry, Madge. I'm so, so sorry. I screwed everything up. I should have never risked coming into the District with that turkey. It's my fault I was whipped, my fault you have that awful image in your head. I'm sorry I stormed out of your house. I'm sorry I yelled in your face. I'm sorry I let three months pass before seeing you. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk, I really, really am. I don't know what else to say but that- I'm really sorry Madge. I just don't want to lose you."

His sweet words make me cry even harder, and I grasp the front of his tee shirt for dear life, needing something to hold onto. His arms tighten around my back, and he leans down to kiss my forehead.

"You don't deserve any of this, Madge. You don't deserve all the hell the Capitol has put your mom through, and put you through. You don't deserve me. You could do so much better, really. I mean it. I've been such a jerk to you, how can you be okay with that?" His voice cracks.

I don't respond, so he keeps talking.

"We're not the perfect couple, but I don't think anyone who is. I want to be with you, Madge, I really do. Hurting you was the worst thing I've ever done, and it hurts me as much as it hurts you. I don't deserve you, and you don't deserve such a shitty guy as me, you could do so much better. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm asking for another chance. I-"

"Stop," I say, looking up at him. I pull my hands away from his chest to wipe the tears from my face.

"None of this is your fault. It takes two people to ruin something special, which is exactly what we did. Yes, you were a jerk. But so was I. It was just as much me as it was you, and for that, I owe you an apology as well. Yeah, you did hurt me. But I could have prevented it. I'm sorry I didn't fight for you, Gale. For us. I'm sorry I didn't try to make it work," I say, locking my gaze onto his.

After a minute of silence, he speaks up.

"So, where do we stand?" He asks.

"Well, you said you wanted to be with me, right?"

"Absolutely."

"I want to be with you too," I say. I plan on saying more, but Gale has other ideas.

He cups my face with his gentle, warm hands and pulls us closer. He leans in, causing our lips to meet. _Fireworks. _It doesn't last long though, because I pull away after a few seconds.

"Hold up a second. I said I want to be with you. I didn't say I would be with you. I'm having trouble just diving into this again, given our past attempt at a relationship," I admit.

His face falls.

"Why?" he asks, the hurt evident in his voice.

"We're both so incredibly stupid," I say.

Silence.

"It's true though- I said one _simple_ thing, not understanding the meaning behind it, and you flipped on me and here we are, after three months of ignoring each other, and you just expect me to jump into this no questions?" I say. I know that I want nothing more than to be with him, but I have to be sensible and think this through first. I can't have my heart broken again.

"I'm not expecting you to do anything. I'm hoping you can find a way to give me another chance. I was a jerk, and I'll be the first to admit it. But I need you, Madge. It was rough without you. Yeah, I know we were only together for two days, not even. But something happened then, I can't even explain it. I missed you so much these last few months. I need you," Gale is being so open with me, it's hard to believe it's him talking, not Peeta.

"I know what you felt, because I felt it too. A connection, I guess. I'm not trying to say that I don't want to try this again, believe me, I do. But I'm not ready for another heartbreak, and if we decide to do this again, I need to know you aren't going to walk out on me, _on us_, again. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I need something solid, at least for a while. I don't want another two day thing, I want to try this for real," I explain.

"I agree. Are you ready for this? I promise you that I am. I want to do this," he says.

"I'm ready if you are." I smile.

"So, not to put a label on it, but does this mean we're in a relationship?" he asks after a minute.

"Yeah, I think so," I reply.

"Good," he says with a grin. He leans again, and this time, I'm the one to close the gap. His lips meet mine, slow and gentle at first, but one thing leads to another, and soon we're both gasping for air. I can feel my hair out of place, but he smoothes it out with a smile.

"Gale, I think I have to go. My dad will have a fleet of Peacekeepers searching the District for me if I'm not home by dinner time," I say, sad to have to leave.

"Oh."

Score one for being awkward.

"Yeah."

"Well, let me walk you home," he says.

"That would be great," I say, taking his hand. He leads me out of the Meadow and onto the streets of the Seam. It's not as cold as it was when the snow was still falling, but it's still pretty chilly. I look up at Gale, who is wearing nothing but that threadbare gray tee shirt and a pair of jeans, and grin, wondering how he isn't cold. He smiles back at me, and squeezes my hand.

The butterflies in my stomach come back to life, and a feeling I can only describe as pure happiness spreads over me. I make a mental note to thank Peeta, he was right.

**A/N: I don't love the ending paragraph, but I had to stop it here or else it would have been even worse. Despite my sucky ending, please review! And don't forget to check out the song, it's PERFECT. Again, the link is: youtube(dot)com/watch?v=w2v1N2q0sxs **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers! I can't even begin to explain how much work went into this chapter. After writing, editing, reading, editing, scrapping, re-writing. If this was a bad movie, I'd be sitting alone at a desk crumpling reams of paper and missing the trashcan to crappy backgrounnd music. Basically, the last week or so of writing has taught me to appreciate the digital world! I was up until the wee hours of the morning each night writing, editing, reading, scrapping, re-writing, and on and on and on. Which probably sounds lame, seeing as I only have about 2,500 words of the actual story to show for it. **

**I actually wound up with two differnet versions of the chapter...trust me, this one was ten times better. Forgive me for the longer-than-usual wait! **

Chapter 9.

Madge POV

The next two weeks fly by. Gale and I see each other in the halls at school every day, but we've agreed not to make our relationship public yet. This is _insanely_ hard, because he looks so damn kissable every time I see him. However, I get to talk to him in the mornings when I walk to school with Katniss, Prim, Gale and his flock of siblings. Because of our surroundings and our company, we can't discuss anything deep, we just have a casual conversation and include all the others. The last thing we need is suspicion, especially from Katniss.

For some reason, Gale hasn't told Katniss yet, and I'm kind of glad. I'm a little mad at her, and honestly, I don't want to give her the satisfaction. Prim doesn't know, and we both agreed that we would tell our families together later on. So we spend the mornings and our time at school being "just friends" with each other, no matter how difficult it is.

However, when the final bell rings, I walk home by myself and he walks the kids home. He uses some excuse to get out of the house right away. I just drop my things, write a vague note, and leave. The note probably isn't necessary; no one ever wonders where I am as long as it's still light outside. About an hour after school ends, we meet behind the Hob.

Gale has fashioned two chairs out of old crates and scraps of burlap, and we sit and talk. Some days, we just make idle chit chat and enjoy each other's company. Other days, he'll take me into the Hob with him. He swears it's safe, because Katniss never trades anymore.

We go fourteen days like this, and it is _hell. _The highlight of my day is seeing him waiting for me behind the Hob, hands in his pockets, silly smile on his face. Before we were together, I could count the number of times I saw Gale smile on one hand. Now, it's a different story, and I kind of love it.

There's an alleyway that leads right to the meeting place that Gale and I share. The thing I always liked about the alley is that it's dark, and there's a long tarp hanging from a window up top. So, someone in the Hob can't see that anyone's back there. On days that I walk through the alley, I like to stop for a minute and observe Gale. I never get to see him just being himself, and it's always good for a laugh.

The way he paces as he waits for me.

The way he runs a hand through his hair.

The way he wrings his hands and fiddles with anything and everything he touches.

It's these little habits of his that bring the biggest smiles to my face, and whenever I take the alley, I'm sure to stop and watch him for a minute before making my presence known.

On the fifteenth day, I take the alley. I assume my usual position behind the tarp and look for Gale. He's pacing in front of the makeshift seats. I smile, he looks really cute. I think Gale would rather chew glass than be labeled as "cute".

"Hey," I say, coming into the light.

"Hi," he says. I walk over to him and he greets me with a quick kiss. We're quiet for a minute when he clears his throat. "Hey, Madge?"

"Hey, Gale?" I respond, mocking his tone. He smirks and kicks the heel of his boot into the thin layer of snow on the ground.

"I know this is going to be hard for us."

"Yeah, it really is. The only people in Twelve who I know of who have made the Town-Seam thing work is Katniss and Peeta and Nich and Jessa Everdeen. I don't know what's going to happen exactly, but people will think what they want to think. And I know we'll be the talk of the District, but I don't really mind. I care about you, Gale. A lot. And I don't want stupid kids and neighbors to ruin what we have and what we're going to have," I tell him.

"I agree. But it's not the gossiping that I'm most worried about. I'm worried about the Town-Seam thing. I mean, we live totally different lifestyles, which is bound to be a problem."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I think we just cross that bridge when we come to it. Not much we can do about it, not now at least," I say. He nods.

He looks nervous and a little antsy. I don't know why, though. It's not something to worry about now, even though it could be a deal-breaker later on.

"Gale, is everything okay?" I ask, worried.

"Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind, is all."

"Tell me about it," I say gently.

"It's, uh, it's nothing. Nevermind."

"No, tell me. You can trust me, whatever it is," I say. He inhales, runs a hand through his hair, and looks me in the eye.

"Listen, Madge. I've been meaning to tell you…" his voice trails off.

"Tell me what?" Now he has me nervous. My stomach does a flip. I can feel blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Remember that night we were in the Seam? The night we were supposed to go to dinner, I mean. Well, the next morning, Katniss showed up on my doorstep. She told me I had to break off whatever I had with you or she wouldn't talk to me again. She said that she couldn't have two of her friends dating, it was screwing with her head, and she didn't want to deal with whatever was going to happen if we split up. She told me she wanted us to break it off then, before it got serious. I told her no, to get lost. Then I went over to your house to return your hair things. I planned on telling you, but then we fought, and I left. So even though I didn't want her to be right, she kind of got her way even if I didn't mean for her to. I wanted to tell you these last couple of weeks, but I was too scared of hurting you. I don't want to screw this up," he looks at his boots and runs a hand through his hair.

_That's it?_ I breathe a sigh of relief. I thought he was going to drop a bomb on me. I don't know how to respond to him. Gale keeps talking, though.

"I'm so sorry, Madge. Really, I am. I didn't mean to keep it from you this long. I don't know what happened, I just screwed up. I don't want to start this off with lies and secrets, but I also don't want to start off with you angry at me. But I had to get this off my chest," he sighs and looks at me with full eyes.

"Gale, it's not a big deal. I promise. Thanks for telling me though, I appreciate it." I reach for his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. I smile and guide him to the two crates. For a minute, I worry that people in the Hob can see and hear us. Regardless, we sit down next to each other, still holding hands.

"I just feel like such an ass for keeping it from you," he whispers.

"Well, you were honest with me. I think it's only fair I'm honest with you," I say.

"W-what are you talking about? Did Katniss come see you, too?" His eyes search my face frantically. "Tell me, Madge, did she? She has some nerve, I'll tell you. Did she, Madge? I swear to God I'll kill her," he removes his hand from mine so it can curl into a fist at his side. Blood rushes to his face and for a minute, I think the vein bulging from his forehead is about to fly off his head.

"No, nothing like that. I just want to let you know that before I went to see you, the day we made up, I went to see Peeta first. Not voluntarily, Katniss had me run an errand for her. But we were having tea we got to talking. He told me that Katniss saw us that night in the Seam. He also told me what you just told me, about Katniss."

"Oh. Okay, then. I guess we're good then?" Gale looks so relieved, I just want to hug him and tell him everything's going to be okay, just like Pauline used to when we would watch the Games when I was younger.

"Yes, we're good," I say with a grin. I take his hand and squeeze it again. "I think we need to be honest with each other, though. No more secrets, no matter how tiny they may seem."

"Of course," he replies, and squeezes back.

"So it's official, then? No more secrets?" I ask.

"No more secrets."

Gale and I have been seeing each other for a month now, and as far as I know, no one knows. Except for Pauline, but she's known from the very beginning.

This morning, my history teacher announced that there will be mandatory viewing tonight. Word among students is that they'll be showing the pictures of Katniss in her wedding gowns, but I'm not convinced that's all it is. I don't know why, but I have a sick feeling in my stomach. The rest of the school day drags on for what feels like forever.

At lunch, I sit at my usual table, and after a minute, I can feel someone's presence. I turn my head to see Sabine, a girl from Town, standing over an empty chair with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Madge! Can I sit here?" she asks cheerily. I nod, not in the mood for an over-excited person in my face. "So, you owe me an explanation! Since when did you start walking to school with Gale?" She asks.

"Uh, I don't know. Few weeks ago, maybe? I walk with Katniss and Prim, and one day, he joined us with his siblings, they're friends with the Everdeens" I explain, not interested in conversation unless it's with Gale. Plus, Sabine and I aren't the best of friends. We don't hate each other, but she's on my list of people to avoid. She means well, but she's a big gossip and she gets around with the guys and isn't shy about it.

"Oh, he's so dreamy!" Sabine exclaims in an overly dramatic voice. I raise my eyebrows. _If only she knew. _"Do you know if he's seeing anyone?" I nearly choke on my food with that one.

"I've heard some rumors, but I'm not sure who the girl is. But I wouldn't even try it, I hear he's crazy for her," I respond. I know I'm crazy for saying it, but I let it slip out. And it comes out so smoothly, I can't even hear the territorial bite to my words.

"That's a shame. I doubt he'd ever date a Townie though."

_If only she knew._

I let out an airy laugh in lieu of a response. How do I even respond to that? I scan the lunch room to see if he's here yet. As I'm looking around, he walks into the large lunch room with a friend. He makes eye contact with me for a split second before dropping his gaze to the floor and disappearing into a flock of older boys. _This is so hard. I wish we could just talk,_ I think to myself.

"But I've heard all about what he does when he takes girls to the slag heap," Sabine says with a small frown. _We're still on this?_

"Yeah, I've heard the same thing," I respond casually. I _have_ heard the rumors she's talking about, but I think back to the day Gale came to my house- he made it clear he didn't do anything like that.

"I'd never have a shot with him," she says. I want to laugh in her face... this whole conversation is so weird.

Another light laugh.

"Plus, I mean even if he does have a girlfriend now, he also has that thing with Katniss. I would _not _want to interfere with that. What with Katniss being on one end of it, even if she _is_ engaged to Peeta. She's the last person in the world I'd want to make angry."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. I force the words out of my mouth in a smooth, calm fashion. I can't have Sabine suspecting anything.

"You haven't heard? I thought everyone knew!" She exclaims and looks around, making sure no one can hear what she's about to tell me. If everyone knows but me, I have to wonder why she does this, but I don't ask. She leans in closer to me and lowers her voice. "Okay, well. A few weeks after Katniss got back from the Games, Rikki- you know Rikki, right? She's the red head in our math class." I nod. "Well, anyway, Rikki saw Katniss and Gale coming out of the woods one day. Before they came back under the fence, he just leaned in and kissed her. Not like a peck or anything though, like a real kiss. Grabbed her face, the whole nine yards."

I'm speechless. Completely and utterly speechless. Gale and I agreed- no more secrets. _How could he not tell me?_

My mind is racing. I want to scream. This is big. I take a deep breath and try to respond as if nothing happened.

"Seriously? But that's like, a one-time thing. Has anyone else seen them together since? Katniss and I are good friends, if it was serious I think she would have told me," I respond. But then again, she's been keeping things from me lately, so I can't be sure about that.

"Yeah I was doubting it at first, I mean she and Peeta are engaged. But then again, they weren't engaged when Rikki saw Katniss and Gale…whatever, though. Back to Gale- he's so hot," Sabine says, matter-of-fact. Well, I guess she didn't want to beat around the bush with it.

I try to tune Sabine out for the remainder of the lunch period, responding with noncommittal shrugs, uncomfortable laughs, and several nods. My last classes seem like eternity, but as soon as the bell rings, I race out of class. I need to get to the Hob as soon as I can and talk to Gale.

**A/N: Soooo, going with my theme of less-than-satisfying endiings, we find ourselves at the end of Chapter 9. Hope you guys enjoyed all the SECRETS! Happy (almost) New Year! Wishing you all the best in 2012 :)**

**Please review, it really does make my day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: One of New Year's Resolutions is to stop apologizing all the time, so I'm not going to apologize anymore for keeping you all waiting for a new chapter. SO JUST DEAL WITH IT! (I'm so sorry, was that too harsh?) Haha. Even though this took me a little longer than I think we all hoped, it is a longer chapter that usual (almost twice the size!) Here goes...**

_Chapter 10._

_Madge POV  
><em>

I make it home and to the Hob in record time. I've thought up my game plan for how I'm going to handle this. I decide I'll be super sweet to him, kiss him a lot and tell him how much he means to me. As soon as I have him wrapped around my finger, I'll tell him how glad I am that we decided not to keep secrets from each other. I'll tell him how I know that no matter what, I can tell him anything and that I know he feels the same way about me. From there, it can go one of two ways. Either he confesses and I get to scream at him, which I'm dying to do. Or, he doesn't say anything about the kiss, and I out him. And then I scream at him.

By the time I turn the last corner, I'm fuming. Absolutely _livid._ I can't let myself over think things, I don't want to sort everything out reasonably and calmly. I want to yell and I want to scream and I want to make him feel like the coal on the bottom of my shoes. I try to take a deep breath and remember my plan.

Gale is waiting for me, sitting on one of the crates. "Hey," he says and stands up. He leans in to kiss me. For a split second, I think about accepting his kiss and just ignoring everything that happened at lunch today. However, I pull back, and he looks up at me in confusion. So much for the plan.

He leans in again, and I put a hand on his chest. "No, Gale."

"What? Is everything okay?" The confusion in his voice hits me like a train- the guilt I suddenly feel is enough to make me forget why I'm so angry.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Thought I saw something, but, uh, it was just a stray cat," I tell him. The second the words are out of my mouth, I want to kick myself. _I need to go through with this.  
><em>

He brushes the hair out of my face and leans in again. This time, I let him kiss me. His hands settle on my hips, pulling me closer to him. I wrap my arms around his neck. The kiss is soft and gentle, and very un-like Gale. He knows something's wrong.

"Mmph" I try to speak, but his lips cut me off. I try again, but the words are lost beneath the kiss. I pull back from him, and he flashes me a smile. I scowl in return, suddenly angry again.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I don't know, you tell me!" It sounds like something a child would say, and it barely makes sense. _Smooth, Madge._

"What's going on? Are you alright?" his eyebrows crease together in confusion and worry.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry," I reply, furious with myself.

"You sure you're okay?" he asks again.

"No, Gale, I'm not okay! Does it look like I'm okay? Does it _sound _like I'm okay?" I yell. He looks startled, and takes a step back. If he were a dog, I'm sure his tail would be so far between his legs you'd need a search team to find it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" comes the response.

I shake my head. "No. You know what, never mind. It's silly really. Just forget it."

"What in the hell is going on, Madge? Out with it already."

"I'm fine," I insist.

"You clearly aren't fine! Talk to me about it," he looks more frustrated than anything.

"What's there to talk about? You kissed Katniss and you didn't tell me!" _Crap. _Well, so much for my plans of getting him to tell me himself.

"What did you say?" he asks, taken aback.

And that's the exact moment right when everything goes to hell.

"I said I know everything. I know you kissed Katniss. And I know that we swore we were done keeping secrets from each other. How could you not tell me something like this, Gale? I mean, this is big!" I say, fighting to swallow the lump forming in my throat.

Gale doesn't say anything for a very, very long time. First, he paces for a minute. Then, he runs his hands through his hair for a while. Finally, he looks at me again.

"I-I'm so sorry."

"I need to hear it from you. Tell me what happened. And on top of that, you better have a really good explanation for why freaking Sabine Alyxander was the one to tell me," I say. I didn't realize it before, but I'm shaking. He places a hand on my shoulder, but I brush his touch off.

"I'm sorry, Madge. I should have told you, you're right. I don't even know how it happened. I was in the Seam. Katniss was walking out of her old house and she tripped on a root and rolled her ankle pretty bad. I helped her into the house and told her I would stay with her until she was able to walk on it and get back to Victor's Village. We were just talking and then she leaned in and kissed me. It happened so fast. I'm sorry, Madge. I really am. I shouldn't have let it happen, let alone keep it from you. I-"

"Wait, what? I'm talking about the time in the forest before the Victory Tour. What are you talking about?" I say.

I hear him curse under his breath. My heart sinks.

"Gale?" I ask quietly. I can feel the tears coming, but I blink them back.

Silence.

"Gale." The hurt that I'm feeling subsides for a minute and is replaced with rage. I've never been angrier in my entire life than I am in this moment.

"Madge, I don't know what to tell you," he says quietly.

"Tell me when. When did this happen?" I ask. I'm furious.

His eyes are glued on his boots. _The coward can't even look me in the eyes._ The air has grown cold and the sun is down, but I don't care. Finally, he says something, but I can't hear him.

"What?" I say.

"Tuesday."

I can feel the anger inside of me, coursing through my veins and overtaking my body.

"T-Tuesday?" I say incredulously.

He nods.

"So she just leaned in and kissed you?"

Another nod.

"But you stopped her," I say, wanting nothing more than to see him nod again. He doesn't do anything, just stands still. "Answer me, dammit!" I yell, letting my anger get the best of me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry," is all he says. His eyes are still locked on his feet. I don't say anything in response, and he turns away from me and kicks one of the crates so hard that it breaks into two pieces.

Suddenly, the anger is replaced with the most extreme hurt I've felt all day. I don't know what to do. I can't look at him for a second longer. Before I know what I'm doing, I turn around and walk away, and I don't look back.

**OOOOO**

The events of the day have caught up to me as I walk down the alley, and I let the tears come. I don't get very far before they cloud my vision. I can't see a thing, and my hands are going raw from the cold, so I decide to stop walking until I can collect myself. I press my back up against the wall, and the next thing I know, I'm sitting on cold cobblestones, back against the same wall.

It feels like hours have passed when I hear my name echoing down the alley. I know it must have only been seconds, but it feels like I've been sitting against the wall for eternity.

"Madge? Madge? Madge!" The voice sounds frantic and sad. I don't look up to find its owner. Instead, I bury my face in my hands and sob, an awful, unattractive sound. The voice becomes louder and louder, and then it stops altogether. I feel someone's presence beside me, but I refuse to look up.

"Madge, talk to me. Please." _Gale. _I don't know who I was expecting it to be, but I inhale sharply at the sound of his voice so close to me. I shake my head, which is still in my hands.

"Madge, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You know what? No. Sorry doesn't begin to cover it." His voice sounds strangled. I don't move or speak.

"Listen. You don't have to talk to me, but just know that I'll never forgive myself for this. I'm an ass, and you know it's true. I never meant for any of this to happen. I, uh, I'm not really very good at sharing my emotions, you know? I don't like to let people in 'cause it makes me feel weak. But things are different with you. I've never felt this way with anyone before, and it scares me. I've never had a serious relationship like this, and I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I know all of this won't change anything, but I need to tell you that I don't have feelings for Katniss. I'm not going to lie to you and say that I never did, because there was a time when I thought we were going to get married. But things happen, people change. I mean, we're the perfect example. The whipping changed everything, and when I let myself open up to you I realized you weren't just another stuck up Townie."

I lift my head out of my hands and let out a very un-ladylike sniffle. He keeps talking.

"As for Katniss, I don't know why I let her kiss me, it was stupid and I should have stopped her. I guess I though if I let her kiss me, it would be as a goodbye. I'm done with her, I've grown to resent her. Besides, she's engaged to Peeta now. I know all of this probably isn't making any sense but I told you, I'm not good at, uh…just…like… telling people what I think. Just know that the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I'm not a freaking super human like everyone thinks. I'll tell you- it's hard, it's really hard. I realized that in the middle of all the craziness of my life, there was you. You come everyday, and somehow, everything else slips away for a while, you know what I mean? It's like when we're together, I can forget about how I'm going to keep my family alive another day. I can forget the countdown to the days I return to the mines this spring. I can forget everything that's stressing me out and it's because of you, and-"

"Stop it, Gale. Just stop," I say through my tears. "You can't go all soft on me. Don't tell me how much I mean to you, don't tell me I made you a different person, I don't want to hear any of it. I'm supposed to be hating you right now and you're making it really, really hard."

"So what should I do?" he asks quietly.

"You have to forget it all. Forget about me and just let this go. We can end this and just go back to the way everything was before the whipping," I reply, still crying.

"I can't do it, Madge. I can't just let this go, I'm not just letting this end. I realize how much I hurt you, and I'm never going to forgive myself for that. I don't want to lose you, you're the best thing that's happened to me in this rotten District," he says, staring straight ahead.

"You can keep telling me all those things, but they aren't changing the fact that you majorly screwed up! You didn't tell me that you had kissed Katniss in the forest months ago. We swore to each other that we weren't going to keep secrets anymore, Gale! I realize that it had happened before we were together, but that's something pretty important. And then you tell me you kissed again a few days ago! Are you _kidding _me?" I wipe my nose on my sleeve and think about how my mother would have my head if she knew.

"No, I'm not kidding you," he says.

"It was a rhetorical question."

"What's that?" he turns to face me.

"It means you're not supposed to answer it. Instead, I suggest you explain to me what happens now."

"I think that's in your hands now," he says with a sad smile.

"How do you expect me to just keep trusting you?" I ask after a minute.

"I don't know."

"Do we just pretend like this didn't happen?" I ask.

"What do you think we should do?" his eyelashes flutter as his dark eyes scan my face.

"Forgive and forget," I whisper after a while.

He wraps his arm around me and I scoot closer to him. Only now am I realizing how cold it is. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh.

"We really aren't a perfect couple, are we?" he says, looking down at me.

"Not by far," I say. He doesn't say anything, just tugs me closer to him.

"But you know what?" I ask.

"What's that?"

"I couldn't be happier."

He lets out a noise of frustration and removes his arm from my shoulder. I lift my head up and look at him, confused. He rubs his face and then runs his hands through his hair several times.

"What?" I ask, worried I said something wrong.

"Nothing. Never mind," he says with a chuckle.

"No, tell me."

"Well, it's just that you're so…I don't even know the right word for it! One second, you're so angry at me that you're ready to end everything, and the next minute, you want to cuddle and tell me how happy you are. I just can't get it right, can I?" he says, shaking his head.

"Wh-wh-wh-what do you mean?" I say, surprised.

"Exactly what I said! Just that you're black and white with me, Madge. How about some gray, huh?" he says, encircling me with his arm again.

"What's that supposed to mean? What did I do wrong? I don't understand! _How about some gray?_ What does that even mean?" I ask, words flying out of my mouth before I even think about them. I know I sound defensive, but I don't know what he means and if it has a negative connotation, I want to be prepared to strike back. I slip out from his arm and get to my feet.

"I'm not trying to start anything, and I didn't mean it in a bad way! I'm just saying that you're happy, sad, happy, sad, happy, sad all in the course of a day, and-" he's cut off by the loud ring of a gong. It rings once, twice, three times. My eyes widen and my hands fly to my mouth. Gale jumps to his feet. He looks horrified.

"Three gongs. It means mandatory viewing is beginning in five minutes. I completely forgot," he says. His voice seems far off, distant. He swears under his breath. "I know they're going to have Peacekeepers coming around, with all of the enforced security now. If we're not accounted for, we're both in serious trouble. There's no way you can get home in five minutes...can't get to my house in time either." He curses again.

"Then I guess we have to go to the square," I say. It's the third option, and it seems to be the obvious one.

He nods.

"Let's go," he says and grabs my hand, pulling me out of the alley. As soon as we're on the main roads, we break into a sprint, determined to get to the square before the Peacekeepers start to make their rounds.

**OOOOO**

We get to the square just in time. There's a crowd of people gathered in the middle of the square, necks craned to see the Capitol Seal come on the giant screens. When it fades away, there's Caesar Flickerman talking to a crowd about Katniss and Peeta's wedding. He introduces a man I don't recognize right away, but after a minute I'm able to place him- it's Cinna, the stylist who worked with Katniss before the Games. The two men talk for a minute before the crowd before directing everyone's attention to a big screen.

On the screen, pictures of Katniss in her wedding dress are shown. Angry as I am with her, she looks gorgeous, and the soft, romantic music in the background adds to the allure. "Let's get Katniss Everdeen to her wedding in style!" Caesar yells. Then, "That's right, this year will be the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games, and that means it's time for our third Quarter Quell!" I feel the crowd around me stand up a little straighter, pay a little more attention.

Gale's grip on my hand tightens as the Capitol anthem plays and President Snow walks across a stage.

"You okay?" I whisper in his ear. He keeps looking straight ahead, but he grips my hand even tighter than before. My neck is beginning to hurt from looking at the huge screens, but I ignore it and focus on keeping Gale calm. "It's fine. It's just another year of the games, Gale. You're safe and Katniss is safe. It's not for months, try and calm down a little," I say. He doesn't respond, but his iron grip loosens a bit.

Behind President Snow is a young boy dressed in white. He holds a wooden box. The crowd of people around us begin whispering, and I strain to hear what's going on. The only word I recognize is "card", but it is all I need to hear. My face goes white in anticipation, I wonder what horrible things will be waiting for this year's tributes?

I tune the president out as he gives the all-too-familiar speech about the Dark Days. I'm shaking by the time he explains the Quarter Quell concept and begins to recap the previous two Quells. _Just tell us, already.  
><em>

"…On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes," the president says. My heart skips a beat at the reminder. _Aunt Maysilee._ Gale looks down at me and suddenly drops my hand, but I don't even notice right away.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors." With that, the president places the card back into the little envelope, hands it to the boy in white, and walks off the stage as if nothing happened.

My mouth is wide open in horror. For a second, everything is quiet as everyone registers what this means. Suddenly, people are shouting, crying and running all around me. _Katniss. Peeta. Haymitch. _I can't believe the words that just came out of Snow's mouth. I turn to look at Gale, but he's no longer next to me. I spin around, searching for him frantically. _Where the hell could he be?_ I stand on my tip-toes to get a good look over people's heads, but I can't find him anywhere in the crowd.

I spot a mop of black hair a few feet from the entrance to the Seam. The body language looks familiar, it has to be him. All hell has broken loose in the square, and I have weave through throngs of people to chase after him. When I push my way to where I saw him standing, he's gone. I run into the Seam, towards where I think his house is. After running for a few blocks, I see him a few dozen feet ahead of me. He's walking slowly, with his hands in his pockets.

"Gale!" I yell. He spins around, searching for my voice. When he sees me a ways behind him, he turns and starts to walk faster…away from me.

"Gale, get back here!" I yell, not caring who hears and sees me. If this is how our secret gets out, so be it. Right now, there are bigger issues to deal with. I know he hears me, because he falters a little bit, but he doesn't stop walking or even look over his shoulder. I begin to run again, and soon I've closed the gap between up.

He must sense me stop several feet behind him, because he picks up speed.

I have a decision to make- I can do the logical thing and leave him alone, and get home before my father shuts down the District to find me. Or, I can follow him to his house, where I can calmly confront him.

"AH!" I yell, and drop to the ground, clutching my leg. Option number three: get _him_ to come to _me. _It works, and he spins around and sees me on the ground. It's dark, and I can't see too well, but if I had to guess, I'd say his face went totally white. He runs over to me and kneels next to me. I begin to whimper in "pain".

"Madge? Madge! Look at me, okay? Where does it hurt? What happened?" he's gasping for air, his eyes frantic. He grabs both of my hands in his and squeezes gently.

"I- I hurt my leg! I think it's from last week. Remember, I tripped over an old bottle behind the Hob and hurt my leg? I think running re-injured it," I say, tears welling in my eyes. One of the things I've always been good at is crying on command.

"Which leg is it?" he asks.

"Right," I say without thinking.

He drops my hands like they're on fire and stands up.

"Nice try, but you hurt your left leg last week. I remember because I told you about the time I got the same leg caught in a snare when I was fourteen. Definitely the left leg. But nice effort," he says, and turns to walk away.

I jump up, blinking the fake tears away.

"Gale, please just stop for a second!" I exclaim. It works, and he turns so he's facing me.

"What?" he asks.

"What happened back there, in the square?" I ask.

"What happened? _What happened?_" he asks, raising his voice.

I nod.

"Katniss is going back into the arena, that's what happened! Did you hear him, Madge? Snow said this year's tributes are going to be previous victors. Twelve has three victors. Katniss is the only female. Ergo, Katniss is going back into the arena!" he exclaims.

"Ergo?" I say, raising my eyebrows.

"Yes, ergo! Ergo, as in thus, hence. And so on!" he yells.

"Gale, I was there. I know what the president said. I'm trying not to focus on that for the time being. What I would just love to focus on, however, is why you ran away? You can't just take off on me like that, it terrified me! Yeah, I know this is really difficult for you, you and Katniss are close. But you have to realize that there are ways out of this!" I say.

"You don't get it, do you?" he spits.

"What?" I ask.

"You don't get it, no one gets it. It's pure _hell _having to say those goodbyes. Never knowing if you'll see her again. The Capitol just swoops in one day, and all of a sudden she's gone. You don't even get to tell her how much you love her, how you've always loved her. The worst part is watching someone you love so much fight for her life, and now it's happening all over again. I can't go through this again, Madge!" he says.

"Excuse me?" I swallow, "You l-love Katniss? You told me you resent her just an hour ago! You said you were done with her."

I don't wait for his response. Instead, I lower my eyes at him, shove my hands in my pockets, and give him a good view of my departing back.

**A/N: Yay for long, drama-filled chapters! The idea for the fake injury came from the movie "You Again" so I can't take credit for that (no copyright infringement intended). I need to ask a favor from y'all...can you please either review or PM me and let me know if you like short chapters every three or four days, or long chapters every week or so? Majority rules, so please give me your input! Hope you all enjoyed, can't wait to see the reviews! :-) **


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11._

_Gale POV_

Before I even realize what happened, Madge is practically out of sight. I see the top of her blond head as it peeks through the nighttime fog about a hundred feet away. Instead of running after her and having yet another confrontation, I turn on my heel and walk the rest of the distance to my house.

I push open the old wooden door and Posy flings herself onto my legs. By the time I manage to peel her off, my mother's at my side.

"You okay, honey?" she asks, worried.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I decide to play dumb.

"Cause Momma says Caniss is going away again," Posy offers. I shoot a glance at my mother, annoyed she let Posy in on the "big news". She just shrugs.

"Just for a little while," I say with a horrible excuse for a smile. Just then, Rory and Vick emerge from the bedroom in the back of our small house.

"Sup, Gale?" Rory asks, lifting his head in greeting. _Punk. _ I nod at him.

"Gale! Gale! Gale!" Vick calls, fighting for my attention.

"Vick! Vick! Vick!" I say back, mocking his tone. He laughs and comes over to me. I ruffle his hair, "What's up, bud?"

"Since Katniss is going back to the arena now, are you gonna have to hunt all day every day again? Cause you can teach Rory how to hunt and that means that you can take him with you! Please, Gale? Pleasepleaseplease_please,_" he begs.

My mother interrupts with, "Vick, Gale is not gonna have to hunt all day, he's going to have to. Gonna isn't a proper word."

"Whatever, Ma," Rory says dismissively.

"Whatever, Ma," Vick chimes in, mocking Rory's voice.

"Besides, I'm not going to have to do that again. The people in the Capitol make sure Katniss and her family has enough money for all of their food now, so Katniss doesn't hunt anymore," I explain.

"Oh. Well can you teach him to hunt then?" Vick asks.

"Absolutely not. But thanks for asking," I say curtly.

"Sorry, Rory. I tried," Vick says, hanging his head.

"Bed time, kids. You know the drill," my mother says, herding the kids towards the bedroom in the back of the house. I bring up the rear, shuffling my boot-clad feet across the well-worn floor. I stand in the doorway as my mom tucks Vick and Posy into bed. Rory has long outgrown that childish nonsense, and wipes off Mom's kiss as soon as she turns off the light.

Once the lights are off and the door is closed, I turn on my heel and walk towards the front door, where my game bag and hunting jacket wait. They seem to be mocking me. "I've got to get outta here, Ma," I say. I expect her to argue with me, but she just nods and lets out a yawn. "Go to sleep, I promise I'll be fine. Be back soon, I swear," I add, opening the door. She nods again, and I grab my jacket and bag and walk out into the blackness.

It's nearly spring, but the night is dark and especially cold. If I had to guess, I'd say it's about ten or eleven. I don't know what I want to do and where I plan on going exactly, but I'd say it's a fair bet that I'm not sleeping tonight. I can only hunt when the fence isn't electrically charged, and it's kind of a crapshoot. If I'm lucky, I actually get to go into the woods once or twice a week. But my family doesn't know that-they think that's where I am if I'm not at work or the mines.

I walk for a while before finding myself in front of the entrance to the meadow. I think about the day Madge and I were there. I shake the good memory from my head and push open the wire gate.

**0000**

I return from my late night constitutional at about eight in the morning. When I walk in the door, Posy barrels into me, laughing hysterically. I scoop her up in my arms like a baby. She wraps her tiny arms around my neck and brings her face close to my ear. "Want to hear a secret?" she cackles. I nod. "Rory's my favorite brother," she says. I pull my head back, mouth open in a perfect O. Just then, Vick runs up and tugs on the hem of my shirt.

"Want to hear another secret?" he asks. I nod.

"Vick, no!" Posy squeals.

"Rory put her up to it!" he blurts. He looks satisfied and over-excited. All of that happiness fades when I see the fear creep into his eyes as Rory calls from the other room,

"_What _did you just say, Vick? Some accomplice you are!"

"Ignore him," I tell my youngest brother, turning my attention back to Posy, who is hollering something in my ear.

"Let go of me! Gale, lemme go!" she shouts, flailing her arms like a crazy person.

"Okay, but you asked for it," I say, and toss her a few inches into the air before catching her in my arms. She is doubled over laughing in my arms.

"Please put me down!"

"What did you say? I think I heard 'please tickle me' am I right, Vick?" I ask, nudging the kid with my foot and winking. He looks up and nods eagerly.

"No! That's not what I said!' Posy cries, still giggling.

"Oh, I think it is!" I cry, pinching her middle, which sets her off in another fit of laughter.

"Gale, stop!" she giggles.

"Not until you tell me who your real favorite brother is!" I tease.

"Don't give in to him, Posy! Never back down!" Rory calls, running into the small room.

I raise my eyebrows at him. He crosses his arms and glares at me mockingly. I turn Posy upside down, causing her to squeal even louder than before. I have her by her ankles, her head only a few inches from the floor. Posy is making quite the racket, louder than I've ever heard. Which is difficult, even for her. Her hoots bring my mother into the room, and she wipes her hands on the tattered apron tied around her middle.

"Careful, Gale!" Mom scolds, but we both know that Posy is enjoying every minute of it.

"Look at Momma coming to your rescue! You lucky girl," I say to my little sister as I turn her upright and plant her firmly on the floor. She wraps her arms around my legs, still laughing.

Mom sends the kids into the kitchen to eat a meager breakfast that she had scraped together. I feel horrible that I haven't been able to bring much game in lately, but with my salary from the coal mines, I am able to buy necessities and barter for the good stuff down at the Hob.

I'm only working a few hours a day mining coal, so I'm not receiving as much money now, which means I've had to stretch each coin to its limit. I don't have to go back to the mines full time until the spring because they want me fully healed from my whipping. My mother thinks it's because they're showing "compassion and empathy" - her words, not mine.

I know better, though. I'm not allowed back full time for the next month or two because they know that if I go back before I'm healed, I'll have a higher chance of getting injured. They'd rather wait a few months to have a practically perfect miner than have a good miner for a few months before he keels over at work.

While the kids are eating, my mom pulls me aside to the corner of the main room. "You owe me an explanation, Gale. What do you think you were doing running out on us like that night?" she hisses.

"There's nothing to explain, Ma. Besides, you did nothing to stop me from leaving. If you didn't want me to go you should have said something, but I just had to leave. Couldn't take it anymore."

"Bull," she says, surprising me. My mother has never said anything remotely foul before.

"What?" I ask. I can hear my voice begin to rise.

"You think I'm stupid, Gale? I know you would have waited until I fell asleep before leaving. Besides the fact, you said you were going to be back soon. _Soon _is not eight in the morning. You were gone for nine hours!" she whispers, hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Ma. I don't know what to tell you. What's done is done, and that's the end of it."

"Gale, you had better change your attitude very soon! You need to show respect towards me, understand? I think you're forgetting that you are in the presence of three children. They love you and look up to you, you had better teach them right!" she whisper-yells. I just nod. She waves her hand dismissively and turns, walking out of the room.

I let out a big sigh and sink onto the lumpy armchair in the corner of the room. It doesn't compare to the oversized plush ones in the Everdeen's new house, but I don't mind. I'm asleep in minutes.

**0000**

Before I know it, five weeks have gone by. There was a knock on my door the day after the Quell announcement, and I was told to return to the mines right away. A month earlier than I was supposed to, but having the extra money is really making up for the lost hunting time. I went back the day after that, which means no more school. Which also means no awkward encounters with a certain blond.

I wake up before the sun, put on those damn gray coveralls, and head to the mines. Instead of only working weekends and some nights, I'm in the mines six days a week from six in the morning to six at night. I can honestly say I didn't miss this, but every time the lift sends me down into the mines, I think of the kids and all of the things they'll be able to have now that I'm working and making money again.

After the whipping, people stopped giving Ma their laundry, which meant for a while, we were out of money. As much as I hated it, I had to ask Katniss for help.

At night, I help my mom fix dinner and I entertain the kids to give her some time to herself. Once they're all asleep, I leave. I never have a plan, but I just have to get out for a while. Most of the time I think of the upcoming Games, sometimes I think about actually leaving. Once, I let myself think about Madge. That was a bad night.

Over the last month, she's been popping in and out of my head whenever she pleases. I keep pushing the thoughts out of my mind, determined to be a man. Besides, if she can't trust me, I'm not going to waste my energy. Because, frankly, I don't have enough to go around. I do feel bad about not following her the night she ran off on me, but I've become an expert at ignoring guilt.

It's Sunday, which means I don't have to go to the mines. I wake up early, lace up my boots, and grab my game bag. I know it's a crapshoot, but I really need to get into the woods today so I can get my hands on the weapons I have stored out there. I promised Katniss I would come by later today and help her, Peeta and Haymitch train like I do every day I have off.

I don't understand why they're bothering to train Haymitch. Everyone knows Peeta's too….. _Peeta-ish_ to ever let Katniss go into that arena without him.

When I arrive at Katniss's house in Victor's Village later that day, I'm about to punch someone. This day couldn't have been any worse- the fence was on, meaning no woods and no weapons. When I returned home, I got screamed at again by my mom for disappearing again. On my way to Katniss's house, that annoying Sabine girl cornered my in front of the tailor's shop and tried to flirt with me. On top of all of that, today marks six months since I was whipped. I would have forgotten, except Rory so kindly brought it up.

I push the button next to the door. I've never been one for formality, especially not when it comes to Katniss and the Everdeens, but I feel very out of place. I hear the pitter-patter of feet from inside the house. Primrose swings the door open and looks surprised to see me.

"Oh! Gale….uh, hi! Come on in," she says with a smile. I step into the mansion, and begin to walk towards the kitchen, but Prim steps in front of me, blocking my way.

"Sorry, I know I'm a few minutes early, but its Sunday... Katniss asked me to come over and help with training like I usually do. Is this a bad time?" I ask.

"Oh, uh. No this is fine. She actually just went over to Peeta's house….or was it Haymitch's? I'm sorry, I d-don't really remember. You can, uh, go find her if you want. Um, you know where they live, right?" she says, stumbling over her words.

"Prim, what's going on?" I ask, concerned.

"N-nothing. Everything's fine," She says with a nod.

"Prim," I say, trying to stay calm.

"Really, Gale. We're all good here. Just me and Mother. You should, er, go find Katniss," she smiles, leading me back to the front door and pulling it open.

"Prim, you have about three seconds before I start to jump to conclusions. Tell me what's up," I demand. As the words are leaving my mouth, I see a flash of blond hair up at the top of the stairs. I blink twice, and it's gone. But I'd know that hair anywhere.

In three strides, I'm at the top of the stairs. I throw open the door to Katniss's bedroom and at the desk sits a red-in-the face, nervous looking Madge Undersee. But it's not her physical appearance that worries me. It's the huge manila folder with a big red _confidential _sticker sitting in front of her that does. All I know is that whatever's in that folder has got to be something big.

"Madge? What are you doing here?" I ask. I realize this is the first time I've seen her since whatever happened the night of the Quell announcement, let alone spoken to her.

"I don't need to tell you anything, Gale."

"Seriously, Madge. What in the world is in the folder?" I motion the mystery file on the desk.

"Mind your business, this has nothing to do with you!" she yells, startling me.

"The hell it's not my business! You are my business, Madge!" I yell back.

"Since when? You didn't care about what I did and how I felt before, so why should you get to care now?" she asks, her face turning red.

"I always cared! Just because I don't run after you every time you pitch a fit doesn't mean I don't care! Besides, if you cared about me caring, you wouldn't have ignored me for however long it's been!" I cry.

"Why do I have to be the one to come to you, huh? I'm sick of wearing the pants here, be a man and take a little control, will you?"

"You want control? Okay, then. Madge, tell me what's in that folder," I say.

"It doesn't matter, Gale! This has nothing to do with you. In fact, you… you should just go," she says, calming down.

"Okay."

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. But, it's just easier if you leave, I don't th-" but before she finishes her sentence, I take a step closer to the desk, and in one swift motion, swipe the folder off the desk. I open it quickly and look at the papers inside. When I see the Capitol seal on the first page, I feel like I just got the wind knocked out of me.

"Gale!" she exclaims.

"Please tell me you have nothing to do with these," I croak. I'm silently pleading with her to shake her head and give me a very logical explanation.

"Okay, there's something I need to tell you. This is really important, so I need you to try to stay calm and keep quiet until I finish. If I don't tell you now, I don't know if I'll ever get the time and the courage to again," she says. I nod.

"Katniss is going to the Games in a month. No doubt Peeta's going with her. You're not the only one helping. I assume she told you about those runaways she ran into in the woods a while ago. Well, the thing is…how do I say this… well, basically what I'm trying to tell you is that people in the other Districts aren't too happy with Snow right now. My father gets daily newspapers from the Capitol, and I've been cutting out important things and bringing them to Katniss," she says.

I'm stunned. Who would have thought it - Madge Undersee, breaking countless laws, lying, and sneaking around for a girl who's as good as dead a month from now. I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off.

"But about a week ago, this weird machine in my father's study started beeping and ringing. I was home alone, so I went to investigate. These papers started coming out, all of them urgent messages and updates from the Capitol about the recent rebellions and defiance in the Districts. I knew that Daddy has a machine that makes a copy of anything, so that's what I did. It didn't take me long to realize that these memos come at the same time, twice a day, every day. So you're looking at the copies of everything."

I don't even know how to respond to this.

"Listen, Gale. You aren't allowed to tell anyone. I'm serious. I know my father suspects something, he's been asking way too many questions lately, and they've been way too specific. You can speak now, if you want," she says with a sad smile.

"I-I can't believe this, Madge. This is really interesting stuff and all, but you need to stop."

"Stop. Stop? Stop! You want me to stop? No! I finally found something that makes me feel useful…something that makes me feel like I'm serving a purpose. I'm not going to just stop!" she cries.

"You have to! This is dangerous! Listen, you need to lay low for a while. No spying, no lying, no stealing copies of Capitol memos. I'll take these and burn them-"

"Stop it, Gale! I said no! I don't need you telling me what to do."

"You don't understand, this is dangerous, and you could be in serious trouble if you get caught," I try to explain.

"I don't need your opinion! I know it is really risky, but I think we can both agree that it's worth it to make sure Katniss and Peeta go into the arena fully informed," she fires back, not missing a beat.

"It's too risky, though. Too dangerous, especially for you. I can make this all go away; all I need is a match and a few minutes-"

"I don't want your protection! I don't need it, and I've been getting along just fine without it!" she spits back.

I'm not sure if it's the tone of her voice, the physical words, or the meaning behind it all that makes me back down. Regardless, instead of yelling back at her, I just nod my head and cross my arms.

"Okay, then. I guess I'll be going…gotta help them train and stuff," I say.

"Bye, Gale," she replies. I drop the folder onto the desk and walk out of the room.

"Oh, and Madge?" I call over my shoulder from the hallway.

"Yeah?" she yells.

"I want in."

**A/N: I know I said I would stop apologizing, but I didn't get this chapter out as soon as I planned (for various reasons) and I think that an apology is in order here...SORRY! Now here's the part where I beg you all to review because it makes me so insanely happy. I love all of you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

**Gale POV**

The next time I see Madge is at the Everdeen's house the following Sunday. "Madge!" I call as I see the familiar flash of blond hair dart across the upstairs hallway. She doesn't respond, so I stride up the stairs. I make a beeline for Katniss's room, eager to be filled in on the week's happenings.

She sits at the desk in the large room, same as last week. There are various papers laid in front of her, and she chews nervously on her bottom lip. When I enter the room, she jumps to her feet and scoots around the desk so she's standing between me and the papers.

"Gale! Uh, hey. Um, how's it going?" she fumbles for her words.

"Er, pretty good I guess. I just wanted to check in with you, see how things are going with the other Districts. Maybe check out this week's memos?" I say casually.

"Listen, Gale. I really don't think this is something you should be getting yourself into. I mean, you're already a target for Head Peacekeeper Thread. If he ever found out about this, and especially that you were involved in it, I would never be able to forgive myself. The man is looking for an excuse to get to you," she explains, anxiously twirling a lock of hair behind her right ear.

"It's worth the risk," I reply.

"No, I don't think you understand, Gale. It could get you killed. There's no good reason for you to throw yourself into this and add another bullet point to the list of reasons why the Peacekeepers need to deal with you! I think that for now, it would be best if you just backed off a little," she says, removing her hand from her hair and crossing her arms across her chest.

"If it means I'm better prepared to keep Katniss safe and informed before she leaves, and ultimately, in the Quell itself, it's worth it to me, and you should know that better than anyone!" I say, suddenly angry with her. How dare she try to tell me to back down? The nerve!

"I'm not saying that you can't do your part to help Katniss and Peeta before they leave, all I'm saying is that this is certainly not one of the ways you should be helping. You…you just don't understand! Leave this part to me, and focus on the physical, and not to mention perfectly legal aspects of their training."

"Seriously, Madge? You just want me to forget about this? Are you kidding? I told you I wanted in, and now that I'm here, wanting, no, begging to help out, you treat me like dirt! I-"

"Gale it isn't like that!" she interrupts.

"Then what's the problem?" I fire back.

She sighs, then crosses the room to close the door. When she resumes her position in front of me, she sighs again.

"Listen, Gale. I know we aren't together anymore, and I've come to terms with that. But no matter what, I still care about you, and knowing you'd been penalized for something I had a role in would drive me over the edge. I would honestly not be able to deal with the guilt. I know it sounds weird now, but if I do get caught with this, you're going to be glad you weren't a part of it."

"If you go down, I go down with you. I'm prepared for any of the risks that come along with this, I just need to be in on it, you know? I just feel so helpless."

"No, you don't understand! I-"

"Stop telling me I don't understand! I understand perfectly. Contrary to what you_ and _a good portion of the District Twelve population may think, I am not incompetent. And if anyone should know that, it's you. But since I clearly don't understand, why don't you dumb I down a bit for me?" I retort, still angry with her.

Her face softens and she uncrosses her arms.

"Hey now, I didn't mean to make you feel inferior or stupid or anything, and I apologize. I just don't know if there's any other way to tell you that you need to just keep your distance. This really isn't something for you to add to your plate right now, okay?" she replies.

"I can't just accept that! You know me, Madge. You know I'm not just going to let this go. I want to help. _Please._"

"And you know me. I'm not going to give in to this- I'd rather take the hit than you," she says.

"But-"

"Please, Gale." Madge walks to the door and opens it, folder in hand.

"But-"

"If you love me, let it go."

And with that, she walks out, leaving the scent of her perfume and the feeling of defeat lingering in the air.

**0000**

**Madge POV**

"If you love me, let it go," I declare, shocked by my words. I didn't mean for it to come out like that…I said _ love _for goodness sake! Heavens, I probably scared the poor boy!

As I hurry out of the room, I feel the blush creeping up the back of my neck. I rush down the stairs, almost tripping several times. My work here is done, at least for today, so I throw open the door and hurry outside and start to speed-walk towards my home- a proper young lady _never_ runs.

When I get home, I climb the stairs two at a time to my room, and throw the folder on my bed with such force that papers fan out across my mattress. I let out a noise of frustration and shove the papers back into the folder, not bothering to organize them. I realize that the worst possible place for these papers to be is in plain view.

I dig through my closet for a shoebox, but instead I find an old purse and decide it will have to do. I place the folder inside and close the zipper. I take special care in disguising the purse on a high shelf behind a row of old shoes and a pile of bed sheets. I notice a fairly thick layer of dust on the shelf and I decide it needs to be tended to.

Pauline doesn't clean my room- that's my job. It's Sunday, so she has the day off. Daddy's got meetings today, and Mother is asleep as usual. I search the bathroom cabinets and closet for a dust rag or something, but I can't find one. In fact, I can't find any of the cleaning products that usually keep the bathroom storage units fairly full.

I walk through the house, room by room, looking for the cleaning supplies. The only place I haven't looked yet is the attic. I decide it's worth checking, seeing as Pauline probably cleaned it recently in anticipation of summer, which will be here in just a week or two. I yank the string on the pull-down stairs, and a loud creak sounds throughout the hallway.

I cross my fingers and pray the noise didn't wake Mother. The stairs wobble a little but as I climb up, but it's manageable. Luckily, the lights in the attic are already on, or else I would have had seriously reconsidered stepping foot inside. I see the vacuum cleaner resting against an old armchair and cross the room towards it.

Just like how when I was learning to ride a bicycle, Daddy taught me that where there's a ball there's a child, I'm pretty sure that where there's a vacuum, there's a bucket of cleaning supplies close by. And I'm right! I kneel down and rifle through the various soaps, solutions and sponges before finding what I need- a bottle of wood cleaner and an old rag. I grab the items and begin to hightail it out of there when something catches my eye.

I can't tell what it is, but it's colored like pus and looks like it's made of burlap. It pokes out of a pile of materials behind the shelf in the corner. I place the rag and the cleaner on the armchair and go to investigate the mysterious fabric. I give it a yank, and fall back onto my butt, suddenly surrounded by what looks like….no….could it be? It would appear to be every piece of clothing I've ever worn.

Funny thing is, I didn't even know these clothes were up here. I just assumed that Mother had sent them off to one of the many families in the District who are in desperate need of clothing and scrap materials. Anger surges through me and I get to my feet. I brush the hair from my eyes and start pulling clothes up off the floor, and in no time at all, I'm holding bits and pieces of my childhood in my hands. I shift everything to one arm while I clumsily grab the rag and the cleaner off of the armchair and scamper down the stairs.

I shuffle to my room quickly and dump the pile of clothing onto my bed before returning to the attic twice more for the remaining clothes. It takes a solid fifteen minutes, but eventually, a large pile of clothing is sitting on my lilac duvet. Upon further inspection, I notice that the clothes are in practically pristine condition. I'm angry with Mother for not giving these away, furious at Pauline for not telling me- she had to have known, and absolutely livid at the prospect of having to deal with this on top of all of my sneaking around.

I spend the rest of the day in my room, sorting the clothes according to sizes and how old I was when I wore them. It's difficult because I don't remember everything, and the hot, angry tears in my eyes keep blurring my vision and splashing onto the clothes, no doubt leaving small, unsightly salt stains behind.

There's got to be hundreds of pieces of clothing here- shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, even a few pairs of shoes. The hurt and the guilt that's coursing through my veins is practically indescribable. I just feel so horrible for having so much while everyone else has so little.

**0000**

After spending the week sneaking more memos and newspapers from my father as well as sorting and hiding clothes, I'm anxiously awaiting Sunday morning, when I can go to Victor's Village and share my findings. I don't know what it is exactly, but on Sundays, I finally feel as if my life has a purpose.

I run into Gale again. Well, I don't exactly run into him, I'm pretty sure he comes looking for me. He waltzes through the door to Katniss' room-turned-spy headquarters as if he doesn't have a care in the world. It's very un-like Gale, seeing as he always has a certain look to him as if someone's slowly torturing him.

"Hey, Madge! How are things going?" he actually smiles.

"Hi, Gale. You seem awfully cheery today," I say without looking up from my papers.

"Oh, it's just another beautiful day here in District Twelve," he replies.

"Gale, look out a window. It's been pouring rain all day. Is everything okay?" I ask, suddenly concerned

"Everything's just swell!" He says happily, but he snatches a notepad off the desk and scribbles something down.

"That's nice, how's your family?" I ask as he passes me the notepad.

_Capitol surveillance installed here. Bugs everywhere. Need to leave ASAP. Be calm and play along._

"They're great. Posy starts school at the end of summer, isn't that exciting?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at me. I nod and began to pack the papers strewn across the desk into folders and binders.

"Oh, yes. I still remember my first day of school. I refused to leave my father's side until the teacher bribed me with candy," I say with a chuckle, not missing a beat.

He laughs, one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I know we're just pretending, but he sounds so happy, so carefree, it's as if the whole world melts away and it's just the two of us again, like it used to be. But reality comes crashing down and I gather everything in my hands and follow him out the door.

I decide I'll just go home to finish working for the day, and he walks me to the edge of Victor's Village. I was hoping we would have a good conversation, but he mostly tries to finagle his way into helping me. It's a waste of his time though, he's sorely mistaken if he thinks I'm letting him anywhere near these papers.

"Madge, I really want to help you out. Do you know that?" he asks, suddenly back to his normal demeanor.

"I do. But I can't let you. I thought we were over with this conversation."

"We're not over with this conversation until you let me help. I will stop at nothing, and you know that, Madge." 

"Try me," I say with a wink and push my way past him.

**0000**

When I walk in the door, my dad is waiting for me at the kitchen table, arms crossed across his chest, a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Margaret, where have you been?" he asks. Did he just call me by my real name? Crap.

"Out," I reply, walking through the kitchen with every intention of hurrying up to my room and hiding these papers as soon as humanly possible.

"Not so fast, kiddo. Whatcha got there?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at the pile of documents in my hands.

"Oh, these? They're just some things that Katniss asked me to hold on to for her while she's in the Games. And, uh, if she doesn't come back, she wants me to keep them," I say, lying my way through the whole thing.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not, Daddy. Uh, if you'll excuse me, I'm just going to change clothes. Er, I'll be back in a minute," I say, hoping he'll buy it and I can make a quick escape.

"Sure thing," he replies and I sigh in relief.. I start to make my way for the stairs when he says, "Hold up a sec. Leave those here."

"Daddy, I really don't think-"

"I said leave them here, Madge. It's in your best interest to hand over the papers and hurry along, I don't think you want to be here when I find out what's really in these folders and if it has anything to do with your Sunday disappearances."

I can feel the heat on the back of my neck and drop the papers on the table with a loud _thwap_. My father is never strict with me, and it kind of scares me. I take the steps two at a time and slam the door to my room.

I sit perched on my bed for what feels like eternity, waiting for any indication that he's read through the files. The dead silence in the house is masked only be the tension between my father and me. Realistically, only several minutes go by before I hear a loud bang, a string of curse words, and the sound of a chair being pushed back from the table. I brace myself for the screaming that is no doubt coming, but instead I hear loud stomping, more cursing, and the slam of a door. 

I sink back onto my bed, expecting to feel relieved that I didn't get yelled at, but instead I feel knots forming in my stomach. I know that wherever my dad is going and whatever he plans on doing isn't going to be good. I don't even realize I'm crying until I figure out that the watery, strangled noises are coming from my throat as I fight off the sobs that begin to rack my body. 

How could I let this happen?

**A/N: FYI, there will be more on the clothes next chapter, but I felt bad about making you wait so long for this one, & I wanted to get it so much for your continued support. Reviews = Love!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Happy leap day! Just thought y'all might want to know that my Hunger Games movie ticket has been purchased, my countdown has started, and there are only 22 days until the movie! Who's excited? :)**__

_Chapter 13._

_Madge POV_

I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep, but suddenly I'm being shaken awake. I open my eyes to see Pauline standing over me, a look of worry on her face. 

"P-Pauline?" I ask, confused.

"Come downstairs, Madge, it's time for supper," she says, and claps her hands twice so the lights turn on.

"No, thanks," I mumble, clapping the lights off and turning over in my bed, burrowing under my thick duvet.

"I don't think that was a suggestion, darling. If I were you, I'd hurry down there. I'm not sure what in the dickens happened, but all I know is that your daddy is fit to be tied." She pulls back the mass of purple silk surrounding me.

"Please don't make me go down there," I wail, feeling like a toddler as I throw the duvet back over my head.

"Margaret! Now!" comes the yell from downstairs. At the sound of my father's angry voice, I jump out of my bed and scamper to the top of the stairs.

"One second!" I call. I start down the steps, but Pauline places a hand on my shoulder and guides me to the bathroom instead.

"You'll thank me later," she says with a smile, handing me a hairbrush. I quickly run the brush through my hair while Pauline stands behind me, fluffing the waves that fall down my back. I turn around and she hands me a wet cloth. I hastily run it over my face, wiping away everything that happened earlier today. Finally, she hands me some mascara. I glance at her, not sure what the reason for this is, but nonetheless accept the tube and run the wand over my blond eyelashes.

Pauline gives me a nod and pats my shoulder. I run down the stairs and into the kitchen. I'm shocked to see Mother and a very uncomfortable looking Gale sitting with my dad at the table. Mother gives a weak smile in my direction, and Gale shifts uncomfortably in his seat and his eyes dart up to meet mine. Now I understand why Pauline was so bent on getting me freshened up.

I notice that there's no food on the table, not even any place settings.

"Daddy? What is Gale doing here?" I ask innocently. Daddy is sitting across from Gale, glaring at him. I try to meet my father's eyes, but he never tears them away from Gale.

"Sit down," he says, never dropping his glare. I do as I am told, sinking into the open chair next to Gale.

"Not. There." my dad says between gritted teeth, still staring at Gale. I jump out of the chair and move to an open seat on the other side of the table, next to Mother, who hasn't said a thing since I walked in.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"What's going on is that you walked into the house this afternoon with a pile of confidential Capitol memos and newspapers. You said they belonged to Katniss." I nod.

"What do you think we should do about that?" he asks.

"Ignore it. Pretend it never happened, because it never will again. You have my word, Daddy. It was a bad mistake, and certainly something that we can just forget. We can move on from this," I say.

"So let me get this straight…you want me to just _forget _this happened?" he says incredulously.

I nod.

"Do you understand the severity of this, Madge?" he asks.

"I do. I know it was a stupid thing to do, and I know that I'm going to have to take responsibility for it. I was thinking that a ten percent cut in my allowance for the remainder of the month would suffice in terms of punishment. What do you think of that?" I respond.

"You're kidding me. You're kidding me!" he repeats, red in the face.

I've never seen or heard my father act like this before, and it kind of surprises me. I never knew my father's business side; I only got to see the friendly mayor, the man who would do anything for the people of Twelve. The man who would move mountains for his wife and his daughter. Not this man.

"Why? Were you thinking more along the lines of twenty percent? Because I'm willing to compromise at fifteen," I reply. He just stares at me for a minute, mouth agape, face red. I raise my eyebrows at him, expecting some sort of response.

"Unbelievable," he mutters, pushing back his chair and stomping out of the room.

"Reynold!" Mother calls, pushing her chair away from the table as well and following him out of the kitchen.

I turn to Gale. "What was that about?" I ask with a laugh. But he doesn't respond. Instead, he crosses his arms across his chest and leans back in his chair.

"Gale?" I ask, concerned with the eerie silence and thick tension surrounding us.

"Katniss was arrested," he says.

"Katniss was _what?_" I cry, eyes wide.

"Arrested."

"Why?" I ask.

"Think back to this afternoon. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you came home and your dad caught you with those papers?" he asks. I nod, not sure where he's going with this. "What did you tell him? About the papers I mean."

I replay the incident in my mind. I can't think of anything that would have caused Katniss to be arrested though.

"I dunno. I lied my way through the entire thing, though."

"Did he ask what the papers were?" he asks.

I search my brain for the answer to his question, and when I stumble upon it, my heart sinks to my feet.

_They're just some things that Katniss asked me to hold on to for her while she's in the Games._

"Oh my gosh," I whisper.

"Yup," he replies.

"But I was just-"

"Thinking only about yourself," he cuts me off.

"No! I was-"

"Screwing someone else over so you don't have to face the consequences that you deserve?"

"No! I mean, I guess, in retrospect, that is what I did, but it wasn't what I had intended to happen!"

"You have to think before you speak, Madge! You lied to save yourself, and now your friend has to spend a night in the stocks!"

"She has to spend a night in the stocks?" I cry.

"Yeah. You're lucky it's not worse. About an hour after you left Katniss's today, your dad came looking for her. She told him what you told him I guess," he explains.

"Why didn't she rat me out? It could have been easy for her to tell the truth, get me in trouble instead."

"Because she's Katniss. You know just as well as anyone that if she can spin a situation to protect someone she loves, she'll do it."

"But my dad caught _me_ with those papers, not her. He had to have known I was involved," I argue.

He nods. "That's between you and your father."

"I just feel so horrible. I feel like I should tell my dad that I was-"

"No!" he exclaims, startling me. "Nothing good could possibly come from that. We'd all wind up in an endless string of lies and excuses. It isn't worth it. Katniss is the strongest, smartest person I've ever met. She will be absolutely fine for one night in the stocks. Besides, it's going to be a warm night," he says.

"But-"

"No, Madge. It isn't up for discussion. What's done is done. You need to focus right now on how you're going to get your dad off the ledge... he's been a nervous, angry wreck since he came stomping over in Victor's Village this afternoon."

"Okay, I think I can handle that," I say, nodding slowly. He nods in response, but doesn't say anything. "Hey, Gale?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"What happened today? I mean, when my dad went to Victor's Village."

"I was in the backyard with Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch teaching them some snares. Mrs. E came outside and told Katniss she had a visitor, so we all went in and there he was, sitting at the kitchen table with the stack of memos and newspaper clippings. He asked for a minute with Katniss, so we left for a minute. After a few minutes, he was walking out and I stopped him and told him I was involved. I don't remember exactly, but I made up some lie that I was the one who had asked you to help Katniss out, because I knew she was too proud to or something like that. He told me to come with him. We went to the Justice Building where he made me sit in the lobby for what felt like forever while he did whatever it is he does, and now we're here."

"Why are you here?" I blurt out. He looks shocked at my question, and his eyebrows knit together, forming one giant black caterpillar above his dark eyes.

"Um, what?" he asks.

"I mean, why are you involved? I tried so hard to keep you out of this, but when everything went to hell, somehow you're right in the middle of it. Why?" I ask, so confused.

"I figured that if I threw myself into the mix, you and Katniss wouldn't have as big of punishments to deal with," he shrugs.

"But why?" I press.

"Why what?" he counters.

"Why did you do it? You could have gotten off scot-free. No one asked you to do that!" I exclaim.

"You're right. No one asked me to. But I figured if you were going down, I wanted to be going down with you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I didn't want to watch you and Katniss suffer for something that you were trying to do out of the good of your heart for her and Peeta and Haymitch. So I decided if you were going to be in trouble for that, I was going to be in trouble too."

"But…I…"

"Besides, now we're even for that morphling," he says with a small smile.

"That's another thing that frustrates me! What is it with you about being even? Katniss too. Whenever I do something for her, she has to do something for me or else she says she 'owes' me. It confuses me. Why do you guys always worry about paying people back? A favor is a favor; you don't always have to repay people."

He shrugs. "I dunno what it is really, but unless you know you're even with someone, there's this nagging feeling that just doesn't go away. I guess it's a Seam thing."

I open my mouth to respond, but just then, my parents walk in. My father looks remarkably calm. "Madge, I think you had better say good bye to Gale. It's getting late," my father says, straightening his necktie.

"See you later, Gale," I say, rising and opening the back door for him. He nods in my direction and mouthes a quick _thanks_ over his shoulder. With that, he's gone.

"Madge, we'll deal with you in the morning. Right now, I need to go back to the office. Pauline will fix you dinner," my dad says, putting on his jacket.

"I'm going to bed, love. Have a nice night with Pauline," Mother says. She leans down to kiss my forehead and walks out of the kitchen. As soon as I'm alone in the kitchen, I drop into the closest chair and start crying.

None of this was supposed to happen. Gale wasn't supposed to be involved. Katniss wasn't supposed to take the blame. And most importantly, I wasn't supposed to just sit here and let everyone I love be punished for my actions.

I jump up, wipe my eyes, and grab my jacket from the counter. I scribble a quick note to Pauline and run out the door. I run the whole way to the square in the center of town. As I approach, I see the head Peacekeeper pacing the length of the stage. I run right up to him.

"Mr. Thread! Mr. Thread!" I call. He looks down at me and wrinkles his nose, as if he'd just smelt something nasty.

"What?" he snaps.

"I need to confess to something."


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Yay for cliffhangers! Double yay for a touch of Gadge shipping this chapter! Enjoy :)  
><strong>_

_Chapter 14._

_Madge POV_

"I need to confess something." As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.

"And what might that be, Miss Undersee?" his voice sends chills up my spine. I look around before responding. We're the only two people in the square. Everyone's shop windows are closed, lights off. There's no sign of life in the square except for the street lamps, casting an orange glow. After last year's games were over, workers form the Capitol were coming and going fairly often, trying to make the district look presentable. Now, the street lights in Town are lit every evening until sunrise. There is electricity in the Seam all day, and they even planted flowers along the main roads.

"The girl you're putting in the stocks tonight…" my voice trails off as I consider what I'm about to say. I could walk away very easily right now. He's barely paying attention to me, just pacing across the length of the stage. Before continuing, I dart up the stairs to my right and cross the stage so I am standing right in the center of the platform. I take a second to consider how easy it would be to bow out right now, to run home and hide under my duvet until morning. Nevertheless, I swallow the lump in my throat and continue. "The girl, uh, Katniss Everdeen, sh-"

Head Peacekeeper Thread stops in his tracks and turns to face me. "Katniss Everdeen?" he asks, one eyebrow shooting up his face. I nod. "Go on," he replies, his eyebrow returning to its natural position.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, she's sentenced to the stocks tonight."

"That's right," he says, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, uh, sir, the crime that she's being charged with…" my voice trails off again when I see a shadow looming several feet behind Thread.

Thread's angular face and horribly short hair seem to contribute to my loss for words. "Speak up, child," he commands.

I swallow once more, but it feels like I'm swallowing sand and somehow I can't get enough air through my lungs. I clear my throat and respond, "Well, sir, Katniss shouldn't have to serve the punishment."

Thread actually laughs. "Humor me, Miss Undersee."

The shadow moves, and the person steps into the dim lighting provided by the street lights. I squint to make out who it is. _Gale. _Well, all things considered, I can't say that I'm surprised. I raise my eyebrows at him, as if to ask what he's doing, but he just shakes his head violently.

Thread clears his throat, waiting for an answer. "Katniss didn't commit the crime," I croak.

"Then who did?"

"I did!" It takes me a minute to realize that the voice isn't my own. Gale steps completely out of the shadows, and Thread grins.

"Is that so?" he asks, uncrossing his arms and folding his hands.

"Yes, sir," Gale responds, running a hand through his hair. Thread looks at Gale, then at me, then at Gale, then back at me.

"Very well. Stay right here until I return. That goes for both of you," he commands and turns to walk away. Suddenly he looks back at us with a look of regret on his face. At first, I think he's going to decide to let it all go and let this slide, but I should have known better. "Number thirteen!" he calls out, still smiling. The red-haired Peacekeeper jogs toward us from his post several feet away from the stage. I search my memory for his name, but I can't remember it for the life of me.

"Yes, sir?" he asks Thread.

"Stay with them until I return. I will be back in thirty minutes," he's still smiling. The Peacekeeper nods, and Thread adds, "you kids didn't really think I'd trust you alone, did you?" and chuckles. With that, he walks away.

"Darius?" Gale scrunches his nose. _That's his name! _Darius looks around anxiously, before nodding, reaching out to shake hands with Gale. He nods in my direction.

"How are things, man?" Gale asks.

"Listen, Gale. Ever since the new Head came in and Cray left, things have been weird. Everything's getting stricter," he whispers.

"I'd say so. I mean, the pattern on my back is proof of that," Gale responds bitterly.

"I know man, I'm so sorry about that. But listen, I was ordered to the Capitol for reassignment. I'm on the first train out tomorrow morning, so I guess this is as good of a goodbye as we're going to get." Darius says.

"That's rough. Well, thanks for everything. You were always a great customer to Sae, and I heard you tried to step in when I was whipped. I owe you," Gale replies, scratching his head and looking at the ground uncomfortably.

"Nah, we're good. But it's a pretty safe guess that when Thread gets back, you two are going to have to face hell. So, if there's any unfinished business you two have, get it done with now. I'll be back soon," he winks.

"Wait, you're not going to watch us? But Mr. Thread-" I say.

"Mr. Thread will not have the slightest bit of authority over me as of the end of my shift. So I figure, ya only live one, right? Ya gotta break the rules once in a while, right? But seriously, don't pull anything crazy before I get back. I'm doing you two a favor here." He looks at the two of us, raises his eyebrows, and walks off.

I look at Gale, not sure what to do. He looks back at me, appearing to be equally confused. Suddenly, I can't see him anymore because tears are blurring my vision. I look down at the ground, shifting uncomfortably. "This is all my fault," I croak.

"How can you even say that?" he says, sounding annoyed. His voice crescendos as he continues, "this is just as much me as it is you. We're in this together, no matter how badly we just screwed this up. They could get Katniss for so many things- spying, trespassing, treason, the list goes on. God, we're lucky they haven't sentenced her to death!" I can feel the heat creeping up the back of my neck. I hate it when he raises his voice.

"I-I'm scared," I whisper, shivering even though the night is warm. I feel his warm arms wrap around me, pulling me closer to him. I'm completely shocked. Gale hasn't shown the slightest bit of affection towards me in what feels like forever. Nonetheless, I can't even describe the feeling of Gale's arms around me. I didn't realize how much I had missed it until right now.

"It's going to be okay, I promise," he whispers into my ear, still pressing me close to him.

"No, it's not. They were being lenient with Katniss' punishment probably because she's the biggest star in Panem. Having a firing squad blow her brains out would not sit well with the Capitol, now would it? But you, on the other hand…" I argue.

He doesn't respond, and I drop my arms from his neck and look up at him. "What's wrong? Besides the obvious, I mean," I ask. He shoves his hands into his pockets and sighs, looking up at the stars that are beginning to sprinkle the late evening sky.

"I'm going to tell you this because I know you can handle it, alright? I'm not trying to scare you or anything; I just think that you need to know." I have no idea what he's about to say, but I doubt I want to hear it. Regardless, I nod, urging him to continue.

"I'm not positive if you noticed, but after Katniss and Peeta got home from the Hunger Games and eventually, the Victory Tour, things got weirder and weirder around here. Parcels were coming in with bugs and missing items. Thread came in along with his flock of extra Peacekeepers. And then the Quell announcement. Crazy things like that. There was only one explanation for all of it- the Capitol is afraid of a rebellion. As they should be. Some of my buddies from the mines and I have been talking logistics. When, where, how, all that good stuff. We've spent the last month or so planning, and we realized that it is possible. If we want the future generations to have a better life than we did, we need to go through with this."

I just stare at him. _Is he really implying what I think he is?_

"After I was whipped, Thread told Katniss if I was caught poaching again he'd assemble the firing squad himself. Now, when he comes back, he could very well spin this to make it seem worse than it is. If anything happens to me, I want you to go to the slag heap by the east entrance to the Seam on Tuesday at midnight. My buddy Bristol will fill you in and tell you what to do from there."

"No, they can't do that. If they try, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to stop them," I say.

"Being a martyr would be exactly what the people of Twelve to spark the rebellion!" he cries.

"Are you saying that you want to die?" I ask. I can hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

"What? No! You know I'd never go down without a fight," he smiles.

"No! That's not enough! You can't do this, Gale. Not to your family, not to the district, and not to me! If you die because of this, I'm never going to forgive myself." My pulse quickens and I can feel my face flush with a mix of emotions.

"Well…just forget it. I'm not going to die, Madge. Everything right now is a huge if. _If_ we get punished…_if_ Thread tries to kill me…_if_ there's nothing we can do about it. Nothing's definite, and I shouldn't have scared you like that."

"But, what if-"

"This isn't up for discussion anymore," he says, brushing a piece of hair out of my face. He lifts my chin and gives me a light, _very_ unexpected kiss on my lips. Unlike most of the kisses Gale and I have shared, this one is soft and gentle, not hot and passionate. "Listen to me, Madge. I know we had something before, and I realize that it just didn't work out, but I need you to know that whatever happens, it isn't your fault. I'm just trying to protect you. It's all I want to do- keep you safe. You have more potential and more connections than I ever have and ever will, and there's no doubt in my mind that you're capable of taking charge and running the Capitol out of Twelve. Okay?"

"Okay," I respond, wrapping my arms around his torso. I sigh and let my tears begin to fall, not caring about who might be seeing me later on or how Gale's mother will ever manage to get the salt stains out of his threadbare gray tee shirt.

I don't know how long we wind up standing like that, but my tears have slowly come to a stop, and my teeth have stopped chattering against one another. I pull back from his warm grip and wipe my eyes. "Gale, what are we going to do?" I ask, not wanting to hear the answer.

"You tell me."

"I don't know what else there is for us to do, except to accept our punishments, whatever they may be. We got ourselves into this situation, and as much as I hate it, I don't see any other way we can go about it," I say.

"No, Madge. We have to fight this. The number one rule to surviving in this world is to never, ever go down without the best damn fight of your life. Got it?" I nod.

"Well, this…" I say, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Blows," he replies, both finishing my sentence and summarizing my thoughts perfectly. I nod, wrapping my arms around his neck again and leaning into him. His arms snake around my back, and I sigh. Not so much in content as in defeat. Gale suddenly drops his arms and takes a step back, and I turn to see Darius climbing the stairs on the side of the stage. He crosses the platform and stands next to us, hands behind his back, chest puffed out.

Without thinking, I reach for Gale's hand. However, he subtly shakes his head, motioning towards the stairs. I watch carefully as Thread comes towards us, followed by Katniss and my father. _My father. _The lump from earlier resumes its position right in the middle of my airway, and I can feel my palms start to sweat.

"Margaret, I did not give you permission to leave the house. What seems to be the meaning of this?" my father asks cautiously. I expected him to be annoyed with me, furious, even. But his alarmed tone worries me.

"W-well, you see, I made a h-horrible mistake and I came to see Mr. Thread b-b-because I didn't think it was fair that, uh, Katniss had to serve the consequences for an action that she never committed," I stutter. I can feel Katniss's eyes drilling through my skull, trying to tell me to shut up.

"What do you mean?" my dad presses. I open my mouth to respond, but I catch Gale staring at me out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to look at him, and he gives me a reassuring nod. I see Katniss shoot daggers at Gale too.

"I mean that Katniss isn't responsible for those memos and newspaper clippings. She shouldn't have to spend a night in the stocks, because she was not a part of the problem. I selfishly put the blame on her," I respond, much more confident now.

"So it's not Katniss's' fault?" my dad looks confused. I shake my head. He wrinkles his nose, scratches his head, and then continues, "then whose fault is it?"

I'm about to confess when Gale catches my eye. He looks genuinely sad, an expression I have never seen on him. I've seen him angry, annoyed, determined, happy even, but- "It was me, sir." My head snaps to the voice on my right. _I can't believe he just did that. _Well, all things considered, I guess I can believe he just did that. My father's eyebrows shoot up his forehead, and Katniss gasps. Thread, on the other hand, simply smiles and folds his hands behind his back.

"Come with me, Mr. Hawthorne. I believe I have a firing squad to assemble."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hi you guys! Before I start this chapter, I have some bad news...lately I've been finding this story more and more difficult to write. However, you have my word that I AM NOT GIVING UP. But as much as it kills me, I think that these long, ugly two week breaks between chapters will have to become standard for a little while. I do most of my writing when I'm inspired by something, or when I get a line stuck in my head and I write it down and go from there. However, life is slowing down a bit now, so maybe I'll have some more time to write. I'm begging you all to just stick with me a little longer, because I have some great ideas for this story and (hopefully) a companion story.**

**Another thing I'm sorry for...I keep telling myself to keep going, to make the chapters longer, but I just can't. I'm not really sure what it is, but whenever I hit around 2,300 or 2,400 words, my brain just shuts off. It's not even like I know how far I've gotten, which is the weird thing, because I don't have word count on the program I use. Basically, these chapters aren't exactly coming out as long or as fast as I envisioned when I decided to write/publish. I spent about a year before this reading other people's stories and writing drafts of different fics, but when I heard **_they didn't cast Madge in the movie_**, I really wanted to try to a GalexMadge story. And here, my fine people, it is! **

**So again, I'm sorry, I really am. But please stick around and keep being just as lovely as you are, because I appreciate each and everyone of your reviews and criticism and PMs more than you probably realize! Once again, I AM NOT GIVING UP. I'm just struggling a little bit. By the way, if any of you have tips on ways to speed the process along, _please _review or PM and give me a hint or two! Thank you! :]**

_Chapter 15._

_Madge POV_

"No!" I scream, my voice cracking. My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach and I can feel hot tears rush to my eyes. Gale shoots me a look which helps me to calm down somewhat. He looks relaxed. But how? He was basically sentenced to death just seconds ago! "Daddy do something he can't just kill him!" I shout, tugging on the end of a lock of hair nervously.

I watch as Mr. Thread reaches into his back pocket and brings out a pair of handcuffs and a small silver key. He unlocks them and reaches for Gale's left wrist.

"Now, now, Romulus. This all seems a little impulsive, no?" my dad asks, placing a hand on the Peacekeeper's wrist to stop him.

"I hardly see how," he snorts, shaking off my father's hand.

"You don't have a just reason backed up by evidence. Unless you saw him actually commit the crime, you'd need an eyewitness to carry out death by firing squad," my dad replies.

"But I have a confession, that's got to be worth something."

My dad looks at me with sad eyes, and I know that Thread has won this one. Unless- "Mr. Thread, you can't punish Gale for this. It was my fault. All of it." Gale is shooting daggers at me with those gray eyes, and Katniss looks green. Gale's nostrils flare as he tries to silently get me to shut up. I stand up a little straighter and re-direct my attention to the menacing Peacekeeper in front of me before continuing, "I clipped the important stories out of the newspapers, I wanted Katniss to see what the papers were saying about her and Peeta. When I was caught, I blamed it on Katniss because I thought it would just be a little lie, but everything escalated. Then I came here earlier trying to fix things, but Gale stepped in and took the blame for my actions, even though he wasn't involved. The only one who needs to be punished right now is me. I'm sorry."

I continue to tell the story, beginning with clipping the newspapers and ending at the point where Gale announced he had committed the crime. However, I do leave out being told about a certain miner's top secret plans for a rebellion. Something tells me that my father and Thread would not be too happy to hear about that. Well, come to think of it, maybe Thread would be.

It feels amazing to have gotten all of it off of my chest. I look around, and I find myself staring into three very blank, very confused faces. My dad is the hardest to read. I can't figure out for the life of me what he's thinking. "Madge, what is the meaning of this?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I really am. I didn't know I would be in such big trouble, I thought it would be helpful for me to show Katniss the predictions of the strongest victors. As for those memo things, I didn't realize what they were until I gave her the folder. They were in a pile of newspapers on your desk and I guess they accidentally got added in. I'm really sorry, I just wanted to help."

"Margaret, you know that what you do can be considered stealing, right? Not to mention illegally helping a tribute prepare for the Games? The Reaping is the day after tomorrow, Margaret! Pulling something like this, especially so close to the Games, I didn't expect such behavior from you," he shakes his head.

I'm not sure what feels worse, the knot that's been in my stomach all day or my father being disappointed in me. "I'm really, really, _really_ sorry. It was stupid and it did nothing but get everyone else into a load of trouble," I respond.

My dad looks like he's about to throw up. Katniss looks scared for the second time in her life, the first being the day Gale was whipped. Gale looks angry as usual. Thread is livid. He shoots me a look and drops Gale's wrist like it's on fire and places the handcuffs back in his pocket.

"Katniss, is this true?" my dad asks. She looks up at me before nodding. "Gale?" he nods also, even though I can see how much willpower it takes him to do so. My dad looks back at me, shakes his head, and then addresses Thread, "Romulus, I'm so very sorry about all of this. I hope this little debacle hasn't rattled you too much. I would hate for anything to get in the way of that promotion."

"Promotion?" Thread's head snaps up.

"Oh, darn. I don't believe I was supposed to mention that. But, since the cat's already out of the bag, I should probably just tell you."

"Tell me what? I'm already Head Peacekeeper, what could I possibly be promoted to?" Thread asks, crossing his arms across his chest.

"That you're up for a promotion! After the Games, the officials from each District evaluate their Peacekeepers. The Peacekeeper with the most votes is promoted, given the silver ring of service, and sent to the Capitol to be a trainer for incoming units. A highly coveted position and you're among the favorites from Twelve."

Thread puffs out his chest and uncrosses his arms. "Wow, sir. I, uh, I'm flattered. It seems like quite the honor."

"Oh, yes, it is indeed! Now, about my daughter's punishment?" I finally realize what my dad's doing here. I have a pretty good feeling that there's no promotion, and an even better feeling that I'm about to get off scot- free.

"Well, sir, now that I'm thinking about it, I see no reason for any legal punishments to be carried out. I have complete faith in your judgment of your daughter's actions, and I have no doubt that you and your wife will deal with her accordingly." Thread raises his eyebrows at my father, who nods in reply. I breathe a sigh of relief, and I see Katniss and Gale do the same.

"Listen, Margaret. I can't even begin to explain how disappointed I am in you. You can forget about any privileges for a very long time." I nod sheepishly. "We'll have a longer discussion about this later with your mother. As for right now, you owe everyone here a very big apology, especially Head Peacekeeper Thread. He hasn't been here but a year, and he has to deal with this little conundrum you've got going on? Despicable. Just despicable." I thought my dad was angry earlier tonight, but this is the worst I've ever seen in my entire life. I want nothing more than to just crawl under my covers and cry myself to sleep. Even though part of me knows that my father is just putting on an act for Thread, another part of me knows that he is actually furious with me, and that alone scares me more than any punishment Thread is capable of dishing out.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Thread. I never expected this much trouble, and I am extremely sorry if any of my actions interfered with your promotion, even though I know you're a shoo-in," I say with a forced smile and bat of my eyelashes.

"Stay out of trouble, Miss Undersee, you hear?" he says, his lips in a straight line. I nod.

"Katniss, I'm really sorry for blaming everything on you. Gale, you shouldn't have tried to take the blame, but thank you for trying to keep me out of trouble. I'm sorry again, both of you." Unlike my apology to Thread, this time I actually mean what I say. They both nod, and I smile weakly.

"Romulus, you are dismissed. Thank you for your services to the District, and please accept my daughter's apology. I assure you nothing like this will _ever_ happen again, you have my word. I'll be sure to put in a good word for that position in the Capitol," my dad says, shaking Thread's hand. Thread salutes and walks off of the stage, Darius trailing close behind.

"Margaret, go home. I need to get my things from the office and finish some paper work, I should be home no later than ten. We'll have a nice discussion about all of this then," my dad turns to me.

I nod. "Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"So am I," he replies. And then, because I don't know what else to do, I wrap my arms around his round belly like I did when I was little. He returns my hug, and pats me on the head. "Go on, now. I'll see you later," he says before turning to walk off.

"I'm sorry, Madge." This from Katniss. "I know you were just trying to help, but you shouldn't take risks like that for me and Peeta. Even though it all worked out this time, what's to say it will if there's a next time? We'll be gone in a couple of days, so try to stay out of trouble until then, alright?" I nod. "Well, I think I'm going to go home, I don't want Mother and Prim to worry. See you around." We say our good byes, and she walks off the stage.

As soon as she's out of earshot, Gale jumps down my throat. "What in the HELL were you thinking, Madge? You shouldn't have done that! Who are you to know how Thread was going to deal with that? For all you know he could have tried to take _your _life! You're so… I don't even know…infuriating! Yeah, infuriating. You make me so angry… and so nervous at the same time, and I don't know what to do with you!"

"I…I'm sorry," I say, my voice cracking. The tears I've been holding in for so long start to fall, and silent sobs begin to rack my body. Gale swears under his breath and pulls me close to him, holding me tight as I cry. It doesn't take too long before my face is streaked in tears, my makeup a dribbly mess, my cheeks flushed red. "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean it," I keep repeating over and over as he crushes me into his chest. His hand is in my hair, stroking my head caringly.

Gale is being particularly weird tonight. He never shows this much affection. Like, ever. I'm not sure what it is exactly that's made him so clingy, if that's even the word for it. Maybe it's the fact that Katniss is leaving the day after tomorrow, or maybe it's the whole ordeal we just went through. Regardless, I kind of like it.

"Shh, calm down. I'm sorry I yelled. Everything worked out didn't it?" he asks, pulling away to arm's length. I shrug, wiping my nose on my sleeve. He answers for me, "Yeah, it did. No one's dead, no one's in too much trouble. As much as I hate to say it, now that I've thought about it a little more, I think you were right this time."

I don't know what is it, but I just start laughing. At first it starts out as a light, breezy laugh, but suddenly I'm holding my sides, doubled over in fits of giggles. Gale just stands there staring at me, clearly confused. But then, he starts chuckling, and it turns into a loud, strong laugh. I've never seen him laugh like this before. I don't know what's so funny- all I know is that we can't stop.

When we've settled down, I reach for his hand. "Listen, Gale. I'm really, _really _sorry about all of this. I never wanted this to happen, and when I told you to stay out of it, this was exactly what I was afraid of. You taking the hit for something that wasn't your fault. But I'm se relieved that everything worked out. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything had happened to you."

"I'm glad everything's okay too. Today was from hell but like I said, you were right. Don't get used to it, though," he smiles. I grin back, still grasping his hand in mine. I remember vividly the events from earlier this evening, how upset he was, how much I thought he hated me. But after we were in the square, everything changed. A total 180, as they say. I have to say, I absolutely prefer nice, sweet Gale, but it's weird. Almost like an imposter.

"Maybe I like being right!" I argue.

"Maybe you do, but that doesn't mean you're always going to be!" he counters playfully. We both fall quiet for a minute, just looking at each other, when he breaks the silence. "But, where do we stand? Like, you and me. Us."

My heart skips a beat. I've wanted nothing more than to get back together with Gale, but I know I can't. I know I have to tell him this. "I want _us _to happen, I really do. But-"

"But what?" he asks.

"But I can't," I whisper.

"Wh...why not?"

I drop my glance to the floor. "Well, do you remember what you told me about Katniss wanting to protect everyone?" I ask. He nods. "That's why," I finish.

"Hold up, I'm lost. What does Katniss have to do with this?"

"Because, in reality, you and Katniss are the same person. You would give anything, including your own life, to protect someone you care about. You deserve someone who would do that too. I really wish I could say the same for myself, but I can't. Maybe it's just that I've never been in a trying situation like that, but I think you deserve better that I can offer you. I mean, you saw how I sold Katniss out to save myself. You said it yourself!" I shout. He just shakes his head and stuffs his hands in his pockets. "What?" I ask, suddenly not wanting to hear his answer.

"You don't get it. It's not about that, it's about the fact that when I knew you were in danger, I had to help you. You think I would do that for anyone? Because I wouldn't. I mean, we can't all be Peeta Mellark, now can we?"

"But there are other girls out there who would do that for you if the roles were reversed. I mean, Katniss-" I'm only getting started, but he cuts me off.

"I don't want Katniss, I want you!"

I just stare at him, completely shocked at his outburst. He takes his hands out of his pockets and smiles, grabbing my hands in his. "Madge, I like you. Not like I liked the girls in school, not like I like Katniss. It's different, it's scary, but I want to try it. I'm not that good with feelings, you know. But it's like, when I'm around you, it's different. So what do you say?"

I don't even have to consider it. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay," I confirm with a smile.

**A/N: So, whaddya think? Drop me a review and let me know! Stay golden, my lovely readers. XX- Carmelina**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Happy Hunger Games! Well...more like happy night of the midnight movie release...same thing, right? (I'm super excited, only a few hours to go!) I tried so hard to get this finished so I could publish it today, tomorrow at the latest, and here it is! It's extra long- in fact, it's the longest chapter I've ever written. I hope it's not all over the place or too drawn out. Please continue to read and review, I love hearing from you guys! Thank you again for your support, it means so much to me! So here it is...ENJOY :)  
><strong>

_Chapter 16._

_Madge POV_

When I get home, I go right to my room, crawl under my covers, and I'm asleep in minutes. I don't wake up until early afternoon. Luckily, my mother is asleep, my father is at the office, and Pauline is running errands in the square. I make myself something to eat along with a cup of tea and spend the remainder of the afternoon cleaning my bedroom. I decide to clean out my closet while I'm at it, and I open the door to find a big stack of my childhood clothes. I almost forgot about them! But, of course, I don't forget anything. Or, rather, I _can't _forget anything.

I haven't really thought yet about what I want to do with them, but I know that I want to do _something_. I can't think of anything at the moment, so I re-organize the clothes and place them back in the closet. Once everything in my room is tidy, I go downstairs to get another cup of tea. Just as I slide into a chair at the kitchen table, the back door opens and in comes my father. He places his briefcase on the table and sits down across from me.

"Madge, I believe you owe me an explanation about what went on last night," he seems remarkably calm, which makes me especially nervous.

I take a deep breath before responding, "Daddy, I'm really sorry. It was just stupid. Childish antics, practically. I told you, cut my allowance as a punishment. I do believe that I deserve it."

"Madge, this isn't some little incident that a scolding and a rap on the knuckles can absolve. Do you agree?" As much as it pains me to do so, I nod.

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page here. So, now that that's established, would you like to tell me why exactly you did what you claim to have done?"

"I told you- I wanted to help Katniss and Peeta before the Quell. I thought it would be helpful for them to see where they were ranked before the arena," I leave out the part about the memos, however. I won't mention them unless he brings them up.

My dad rubs his chin and says, "I see. And those memos? Surely you had to know they were extremely, _extremely_ confidential."

"Er, yes and no. Well, I mean, I did know they were confidential, but I didn't know to what level. I'm sorry I didn't tell the truth last night when Mr. Thread was there, but I was really scared that he was going to execute Gale! Or me! I did know about the memos, and I did copy them on purpose." I thought it would feel good to tell him the truth, but instead, it feels like I have a mouth full of vinegar.

"Why did you take them?" he asks. Suddenly, I feel like I'm being interrogated. But in a sense, I guess that _is _what he's doing- interrogating me. I feel the sweat on my palms and wipe them on my pants while I think. A million good lies come into my head, but I know that the lies need to stop. So I tell him the truth.

"Katniss told me that she had heard rumors about District Thirteen still being active, about people living there, and that it was being covered up by the Capitol. I thought that they might be useful to her if she was serious about finding out more about I," I say, taking a drink from my mug.

"I see. And you and this boy, Gale is it? Are you…what's the term you kids use…hooking up?" I nearly spit my mouthful of tea all over the table. I clamp my hand over my mouth, swallow it quickly, and erupt into a coughing fit. When I've calmed down, my dad looks at me. "Well, are you?"

I nearly choke again, but I calmly shake my head. "I think the word you're looking for is together, daddy. We're together," I confirm with a small smile. It feels good to admit it out loud. My dad is quiet for a minute, lost in thought. When he brings his head up, his eyes are sad. "Alright then. And a nice talk from your father on the dangers of men won't change your mind, will it?"

"No, Daddy. I'm afraid it won't," I say with a laugh.

"Well, I need to consider this all a little bit more. I've had a long day, we can discuss this another time. Get some sleep, okay? It'll be a tough day tomorrow."

"Night, Daddy," I say, heart heavy with the thought of tomorrow's reaping. Even though my name isn't in that godforsaken glass ball this year, I don't want to have to watch Katniss and Peeta go off _again_. Even if they draw Haymitch's name, everyone in Panem knows that Peeta will volunteer to keep Katniss safe in the Quell.

My dad retreats upstairs and Pauline comes in a few minutes later to fix me dinner. We eat together in silence, and then watch one of her silly Capitol shows on the kitchen television. She heads to her own house in the Seam around nine, and I go up to my room. I change clothes and climb into bed. As I drift off to sleep, I think of nothing but giant glass balls and childhood clothing.

Reaping day is just as awful as I had imagined. Katniss's name was drawn, Haymitch's name was drawn, Peeta volunteered. I was counting on the hour after the actual Reaping where the tributes can see friends and family, so I could give Katniss a proper hug and say goodbye, Peeta too. However, as soon as they're off the stage, I see Head Peacekeeper Thread herd them towards a car, and then they're gone.

I run to the Justice Building, where I ask Patrizia at the desk where the tributes were taken. She told me she had no idea. As I start walking down the stairs toward the square, I hear a very familiar voice yelling. I look up, and sure enough, there's Gale. He's very involved in a shouting match with a Peacekeeper.

I'm not sure who it is, but they must know him, because they haven't shot him yet. He's yelling so loudly that everyone lingering in Town has turned to watch the situation unfold. From what I can hear, Gale is angry about the same thing that I am- not being able to say goodbye to the tributes. The mystery-Peacekeeper leans in and says something to Gale which causes him to take a step back, run a hand through his hair, and lower his voice. They exchange a few more words before they turn and go their separate ways. It's most peculiar, especially because of how calm the Peacekeeper was being. I shrug it off and make a mental note to find Gale later and ask him about it.

My father has colleagues from the Justice Building over after the Reaping, so I make myself scarce. I spend a little bit of time in my bedroom, changing out of my Reaping clothes and re-doing my hair in a much more sensible style. When I can't think of anything else to do, I decide to leave and go to find Gale, wherever he might be, and see how he's doing. I don't even have to go into the Seam, because I run into Gale in Town.

I spot him leaning against one of the wooden beams of the produce stand. Tradition dictates that the "lucky" families feast on Reaping day, so the square is bustling. Despite this, is empty-handed. I'd hardly consider his family to be one of the "lucky" ones.

I walk over and stand next to him, but he doesn't say anything to me or even turn his head. He notices my presence and stiffens a little bit.

"Hey," I say.

"Hi," he doesn't turn to look at me, just keeps his eyes fixed on something the distance.

"Um, how are you?" I ask cautiously, placing a hand on his arm.

"Eh. As good as can be expected, I guess. How are you?" he turns to look at me, and I notice how sad he looks.

"Annoyed. My father's being weird about this whole spying issue, and I haven't been given an actual punishment yet, which scares me. On top of that, I really wanted to say goodbye to Katniss and Peeta."

"Didn't we all?" he mutters, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye, Gale. Is there anything I can do?" I ask.

"Not really. Well, actually…would you like to come over? My mom has been dying to meet the girl who everyone's been talking about."

"Sorry, what?" I ask, shocked.

"Not in a bad way! Just that people have seen us together and my mom asked if we were…an item. I, uh, I said yes, and she said she wanted to meet you. Could you maybe come over for dinner later tonight?" he asks.

"Oh, Gale, I don't know about this," I say, unsure of what I'm feeling.

"Please, Madge? After I was whipped, people stopped giving my mom laundry, and my family lost our second income. After that, the woman barely gets excited about anything, and the idea of meeting you made her really happy. So what do you say?"

Well, this is new. Gale's family and his financial situation have never come up before. I have to admit, my heart breaks a little when I hear him talk about it. Suddenly, his words have more meaning to me that I think he intended.

"Yes, of course I'll be there," I smile.

"Great. Thank you, Madge. You have no idea how happy this will make her. Can you come at, say, seven?"

"Sounds good. See you later," I say, and he gives me a quick kiss before I turn around and speed walk home.

I try to be conscious of my father's guests in his study, and tiptoe down the hallway to my bedroom. I close my door quietly and throw open my closet door, pulling out the piles of folded childhood clothes. I load them up in my arms and open my bedroom door, peeking out my head and looking both ways to make sure the coast is clear. It is, and I race across the hall to the bathroom. I drop the clothes in the dry tub, and tiptoe downstairs to the kitchen. I grab a bowl from the cabinet and open the back door.

I grab a handful of soil from one of the potted plants on the back porch and drop it into the bowl. I walk onto the back lawn and rip up a handful of grass and add that to the bowl. I head back inside, where I grab a couple of strawberries, a half-empty cup of cold coffee, and a small wedge of cheese from Primrose Everdeen's goat. Balancing all of the items in my hands, I carefully make my way to the upstairs bathroom where I stashed the clothes only minutes ago.

I spend the next hour rubbing dirt into the clothes, the occasional mashed strawberry, even a splash of coffee. I treat the clothes like a canvas, and the items I gathered from downstairs as my art supplies. I do my best to make the clothes look like they were realistically dirtied by a child.

When I finish, I transfer all of the clothes into four small cloth bags I find in the linen closet. I bring the bags to my room and set three of them at the foot of my bed. I grab the fourth bag and a small handful of coins off of my bureau and shuffle downstairs and out the door.

"Sabine!" I call out, spotting the familiar face from school. _Just the person I need. _

"Madge! Hey! What's up?" Sabine asks, squealing at the sight of me and giving me a hug.

"I need you to do me a favor. But it's really important, and you can't tell anyone. Promise me your lips are sealed?" I ask, and she nods eagerly.

"Whatever you need, I'm your girl!" she replies cheerily.

"Okay, this is going to sound kind of weird. But first, I need to tell you something…" I say with a small smile.

"Ooh, gossip! Yay, my favorite!" she squeals.

"So, I don't know if you've, like, noticed or not, because apparently people have been talking about it, but, uh, Gale Hawthorne and I are kind of going out."

"Shut. Up."

"Haha, no. I'm serious. We've been on and off for a little while, but we're back on now. But please, just be discrete about it, I don't really need everyone talking about it, you know?" I'm praying she agrees.

Surprisingly, she nods. "Absolutely! My lips are sealed."

"So, this favor…like I said, this is going to sound weird, but I need you to bring Hazelle Hawthorne some laundry for me. You see, she hasn't had any business in a while, and I can't do it, because Gale will know I'm trying to help them out financially. Which, I guess, is what I'm trying to do. But never mind that, can you do that for me? I have tons of it that you can spread out over what I've guessed is three or four weeks. I'm thinking two pounds a day, twice a week? So yes, three or four weeks. I'll give you the money for the cost of the laundry, and a little extra for your time. What do you say?" I ask her, hoping she understands and agrees to do it.

"Sure, sounds easy enough. Plus, it'll give me something to do besides sit inside my parents' shop all summer. Why not?"

"Great, thank you so much! Seriously, Sabine, you're a lifesaver! Here's the first week of clothes, so just bring half over this afternoon, and give her six coins. That leaves you with two coins and another six for later this week. They live at Seam number fifty-two thirteen. Okay?" I explain.

"Got it. On one condition though!" she chirps.

"What's that?" I ask, preparing myself for the worst.

"You have to tell me more about you and Gale!"

I agree, and we decide to have lunch in town next week so I can fill her in and give her the next batch of clothes. We say our goodbyes, and she squeals a little more before disappearing into her parents' shop. I'm so pleased with myself, I practically skip home.

Dinner with the Hawthornes is much less nerve-wracking than I imagined it to be. His mother is one of the sweetest people I've ever met, coming in a close to second to the tie between Peeta and Primrose. Gale's little sister, Posy, practically worships me, and his brothers were so cute- the older one, Rory, with his hair neatly combed out of his eyes and the younger one, Vick, with his precious gap toothed smile.

Gale looked uncomfortable sitting there as I had a nice conversation with his mom about the price of sugar these days. I have to admit, my heart breaks a little bit when Posy chimes in to tell me about how on special occasions, her mother puts sugar on top of berries for a special treat. It's heartbreaking that something as simple as sugar- something always in my house- is a special thing for them.

However, I feel a lot better when I see a stack of familiar looking clothes sitting next to the basin on the counter. I thanked Gale's mother profusely for the wonderful beef dinner she made. Every time I thought about how much real butcher meat must have set them back, I would glance at the clothes on the counter, and my guilt would subside.

Gale offers to walk me home, and we walk the entire was hand-in-hand. Before I walk in through the back door, Gale lets go of my hand and grabs my arm gently. I spin to face him, and suddenly, his lips are on mine. I reach up and place my hands on the back of his neck, closing the distance between us. He grabs my waist, pulling us even closer together, if that's even possible.

His lips are soft against mine, and we move in perfect harmony with each other. When we pull apart, he leans down to kiss my forehead. "Goodnight, Madge."

"Goodnight, Gale," I reply with a smile. Then, I slip through the back door, close it silently behind me, and tiptoe up to my bedroom. Instead of falling straight asleep, I find myself lying awake in bed staring at the thin cracks of moonlight that peek through the curtains, casting shadows on my walls.

My mind drifts to Katniss. I wonder what she's doing right now. Is she on the train still or has she arrived in the Capitol already? I wonder how she's holding up, and if she knew that she wasn't going to get to say goodbye to anyone. If she misses home as much as home is missing her.

The next two weeks are fairly uneventful. The Games have begun. So far, both Katniss and Peeta are alive. The first night, my mother was asleep and my father at the office. We gave Pauline two weeks off, so I was left by myself to watch.

Several days into the Games, my father comes home in time for dinner. I fix dinner and my mother comes down and eats with us. I'm fairly quiet as I listen to my parents discuss various things going on in Twelve as well as in the Games. My dad mentions something about Romulus Thread, and I can't help myself from blurting out, "Daddy, I don't understand why he's still here. No one's going to rebel, so he can go back where he came from."

"What's that, Madge?" my father snaps, obviously shocked.

"Nothing…well, isn't he only here to scare people out of rebelling? A rebellion would take a lot of time to organize, and it would require certain things that the citizens of Twelve don't have access to. So I don't see why the Capitol is worried."

"Madge, I don't want you speaking like this anymore, do you understand me? This is just appalling to me. I decided to let you off the hook with those newspapers, but talking about a rebellion so casually? That's not proper for a young woman."

"Sorry," I mumble.

"You really do need to watch what you say, Madge. If you're not careful, you could find yourself staring into the barrel of a gun one of these days," he says.

"Yes, Daddy," I feel horrible. I want nothing more than to push back my chair and run up to my room and never speak to him ever again.

"Madge, honey, can you give your father and me some time to talk?" my mother rasps, and I nod, grateful for the excuse to get away from the table.

Twenty minutes later, my father calls my name, and I return to the kitchen table.

"Sit down, Madge," he says. I do as he says.

"Madge, we need to talk about your behavior recently. Speaking about rebellion and those newspapers and memos and this new boy…well, we don't think it's good for you," my dad explains.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I' seventeen years old. Mother was seventeen when she was engaged to marry you. You were nineteen. I hardly see how my having a boyfriend at seventeen is different than Mother having a fiancé at my age," I argue. It feels _so _good to stand up for myself.

"No, it isn't necessarily that. It's that we've talked it over, and we don't think that you should be in Twelve for much longer. It just isn't safe for you here any longer, especially with Mother being ill and I'll be working long hours for a while longer."

"Where is this going?" I ask cautiously.

"Sweetie, there's no one here to protect you if you get yourself in trouble again," my mother explains.

"So what are you saying?" I demand.

"Your Aunt Lara will be keeping an eye on you from now on," my father says.

"When is she coming?" I ask.

"No, Madge. She's not. You're going there," my mom says, rubbing the top of my hand.

"What? Daddy, you're the mayor, you can't just abandon the people of Twelve and move," I say, positive I've heard wrong.

"We won't be going with you. _You're_ going to live with your Aunt Lara. Alone, Madge," this from my dad. My head starts spinning and I have to grab the table to steady myself. I feel hot tears rush to my eyes and I blink them back furiously.

"Daddy, no! Please don't send me away!"

"I'm sorry, Madge, honey, but I don't think I have a choice here. We're doing this because we care about you and your safety. Right now, District Twelve isn't the best place for you to be."

"Please, Daddy! I'll do anything! Just please don't make me go," I argue, tears streaming down my face.

"Please don't push me, Madge. Your mother and I have made our decision, and the discussion is over. You're going, and that is final." And then, as if to back him up, my mother nods.

"But-" I try to argue, still crying uncontrollably.

He just shakes his head and says, "Madge, I said not to push me on this matter. You should pack your things soon; it's only going to be a matter of time before I have transportation arranged. I called your Aunt Lara a few minutes ago, and she'll be expecting you soon."

"No! I won't go! I refuse! I don't even know this Aunt Lara, where does she even live?" I shout.

"That's not the point, Madge. The point is that we are your parents, and we are telling you that you're going to stay with your Aunt Lara. That's the end of it. Case closed. Discussion over," my father says.

I have nothing else to say to him, so I push my chair back from the table and run up to my bedroom, crawl under my covers, and cry myself to sleep.

It is late afternoon when I wake up. I didn't even know it was physically possible to sleep this much, I slept for nearly sixteen hours. I shower and dress and drag myself downstairs. My mother is in the kitchen when I walk in. She tries to say something to me, but I brush past her and I'm out the door before I can decipher her words.

I keep my head down and speed walk to the mines. I check my silver wristwatch, confirming that Gale's shift at work is scheduled for break in several minutes. By the time I reach the mine entrance, I can hear the rickety lift making its way above ground. I stand by a large tree to the left of the doors, concealed by its thick shadow.

As the doors are pushed open, a steady stream of miners comes off of the lift, Gale bringing up the rear. When I see his familiar face, I step out of the shadows and grab his wrist. He spins to face me and his face falls when he sees the tears welling in my eyes.

"Oh god. What happened?" his eyes search my face frantically. I just shake my head. He grabs my arm and guides me behind the slag heap a few yards away. "Is it the Games?" I shake my head again, unable to speak because of the tears threatening to spill over. He starts taking deep breaths and tugging at his hair. "Oh god, oh god, oh god. What is it? Is my family okay?" I nod, and he drops his hands from his hair and sighs in relief. "Is your family okay?" I have to think about this one for a minute before I nod slowly. "Are you okay?" Again I take a minute to consider this before I shake my head, and he grabs my face in his hands. "Madge, please talk to me. Tell me what's going on, I'll fix it."

It takes me a second to collect myself before I can answer him. "I….I don't think this is something you can fix, Gale," I whisper.

"You're scaring me, Madge. What's going on?" he asks.

"My…my…my dad," I feel the tears threatening to spill over, hot, angry, and full of pain.

"Your dad what? Is he alright?" Gale presses. I nod, and collect myself once more.

"My dad is sending me away. He said to start packing my things up, because it will only be a short amount of time until he has everything arranged and I have to go," I say. The confused, hurt look on his face causes my first tear to escape. Suddenly, I'm crying so hard, and he's just holding me to his chest, not saying anything. For a while, we just stand there like that- Gale holding me as I sob.

It takes a bit of time, but my sobs eventually are reduced to quiet hiccups. Without pulling away, he asks, "Madge?"

"Yes?" I croak.

"Why?" There's so much emotion behind the single word I have to struggle to keep my tears in. He sounds confused, lost, hurt, sad, angry, and understanding all at the same time, and he manages to wrap it all into one single word. _Why? _

"Because of those damn newspaper clippings. Somehow, I avoided punishment for these past two weeks. But yesterday, I let it slip that I knew about the real reason Thread was here- to protect against a rebellion. He went off on me about the newspapers and how rebellion wasn't something to talk about, and that the district wasn't safe for me anymore since I obviously can't stay out of trouble. He said if I'm not careful, then…" I trail off as I become choked up again.

"Then what?" he asks softly.

"Then…well I think his exact words were that I'd…" the memory of yesterday's events are too much for me, and I choke up again.

"It's okay, you can tell me. What did he say?" Gale kisses my forehead and tightens his arms around me. My cheek is pressed against his chest, and I can hear his strong, steady heartbeat.

"I'd find myself staring into the barrel of a gun," as soon as the words are out of my mouth, the sobs I had been trying so hard to conceal force their way out and I'm blubbering like a baby all over again. Gale stays silent and holds me to his chest, and I cling to him until I've calmed down enough to speak. "I didn't even get a say in the matter! He won't even tell me where he's sending me, just to my aunt's house. I don't know where she lives, and I've never even met her! I don't want to go, Gale! I don't want to leave. I told him that! He wouldn't listen to me! I don't want to go, don't let him send me away," I launch into another round of tears.

Gale still hasn't said anything, which worries me. I detangle myself from his arms and take a step back, wiping my eyes. I've never seen him wear an expression like this before. His eyes are narrowed and his lips are pressed together into a straight line. He looks both angry enough to kill someone and sad enough to give me a run for my money. Now that I think about it, this is exactly how he looked the night we found out about this year's Quell tributes.

"Gale?" I ask gingerly.

"Just…just give me a minute to process this." I do ask he asks, taking a minute to straighten out my shirt and run my fingers through my blond waves. "So, let me get this straight. Your dad is sending you away, out of Twelve?" I nod. "And he's doing this because he's worried about your safety?" I nod again. "Bullshit," he says, startling me.

"Sorry, what?" I ask, not too sure what he means.

"He doesn't think you're safe here?" He simplifies.

"Nope."

"Does he realize that you're the mayor's daughter? That no one in this district would _dare_ to lay a hand on you, Peacekeeper or not?"

"Why's that?" I ask, not sure where this is going.

"Well, for one, I'd make sure the last thing they'd ever see is my fist flying straight at their face. For another, everyone's afraid of the legal system in Panem, and seeing as your dad is the most powerful man in Twelve, they'd have to answer to him. That alone is scarier than whatever they would try to do you is worth to them."

Now that I think about it, I understand what he's getting at. Especially his first reason… I'd be scared to lay a hand on me too if I knew I'd have to answer to both Gale and my dad.

"I just…I don't believe this. None of this is fair, how can he do this?" he asks.

"Well, I think you're the expert when it comes to life not being fair," I mutter.

"Yeah, you can say that again."

"Listen, I need to go. It's only a matter of time until my dad finds me, so I should get going. But I just needed to find you and tell you. I…I don't know when I'm going, so…" I have to stop talking so I can wipe my eyes, "…so this might be goodbye."

"Goodbye? Already? But…"

"I'm not sure if this is it, all I'm saying is that it could be," I say hesitantly.

Gale opens his mouth, as if to respond, but instead he pushes me against the wall and crushes his lips against mine. The kiss is strong and steady, and leaves us both gasping for air. I pull away to catch my breath, but his lips find their way south, and he leaves a trail of kisses going from my jaw down to the hollow at the base of my throat, sending a shiver down my spine. My hands tangle into the material of his shirt and I pull him even closer. I grab his face in my hands and we're kissing again, just as strong as before. My arms wrap around his neck and his find my hips. My shirt has ridden up a bit, and Gale's fingers brush against the little sliver of skin that's exposed, sending gooseflesh across my body.

Before we get carried away, I remove my hands from his neck and place them on his stomach, effectively breaking apart the kiss. I look at him, his eyes glistening with lust, his lips red and swollen. "I need to tell you something," I whisper. He nods, urging me on. "I'm not really sure how to say this, but…well…okay scratch that. Basically, if this is goodbye, I'm not ever going to be able to live with myself unless I say this," I say slowly.

"Okay…" he looks nervous.

"Gale, I think I love you."

For a second, he doesn't say anything. He just looks at me.

"You don't have to say it back, but I needed to tell you. If this is goodbye forever, I had to say it," I explain through a shaky voice.

More silence.

Instead of responding verbally, he leans in and kisses me again. This time, it's long and soft, and the taste lingers on my lips long after he pulls back.

"I love you," I repeat, in a much more confident voice, loving the way it sounds on my lips. I'm not positive if he'll say it back, but that's fine with me. In fact, it's a surprise to me when he leans in, kisses me once more, and says,

"I love you, too, Madge."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies! I can't believe we're at the seventeenth chapter already…oh, how time flies. **

**Thought you guys might like this little anecdote…the other day, I was in class, half asleep (midnight premiere), and someone asked me how the movie was. I gave my opinion, and another kid chimed in and said, "Did you read the books?" I was very proud of myself for being able to stay calm long enough to respond with a curt "Yes, four times. In fact, I read them three years ago before they all were even published," which was met with, "Were they good?" I have never wanted to flip anyone off more in my entire life. I don't know what it is, but I just can't deal with people who ask stupid questions. Instead of saying what I wanted to, which includes language that would have made a sailor cringe, I just nodded. **_**No, they weren't good, which is why I read them four times. Idiot. **_**Ugh, I can't stand bandwagoners! …is that even a word? Whatever.**

**So anyway, I hate starting off with an apology, but I lent out my Catching Fire book (everyone's hopping on the HG bandwagon now) which would have seriously helped in writing this chapter. I'm sincerely sorry if certain things in the arena are wrong, but I seriously tried my best between the ol' Google machine and my noggin. Drop me a review and let me know what ya think!**

**PS- Quick shout-out to **_**Donika**_** … I've been meaning to mention you in my last two A/Ns, but I keep forgetting! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews, they keep me going! Also to my lovely reviewers (who I try my best to reply to)… you guys are why I'm still writing, I can't thank you enough :)**

**Here ya go… Chapter Seventeen!**

_Chapter 17. _

_Gale POV_

"I love you, too, Madge." As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I smile. It feels so good to say. After much consideration over the past year and a half, I've realized that my love for Madge is much different than the love that I felt and feel for Katniss.

There was a time in my life when I honestly thought I loved Katniss, romantically. Maybe it was that she was so different from all of the girls at school. Maybe it was how much we had in common. Maybe it was that I was scared she was being taken from me forever the day she volunteered at the Reaping.

I almost told her, too. When I went to the Justice Building that horrible Reaping day last year, I was so close to telling her. I was halfway through it when the Peacekeepers dragged me out. Looking back on that, I'm kind of glad I didn't finish telling her. While she was in the Games, I came to the realization that Katniss is not the type of girl for me.I don't need a girl who's exactly like me. I'd never be able to live with someone who I have so much in common with. I need a girl who works in perfect harmony with me- someone who understands me, who can be something steady in my life. I need someone who can be the logic to my impulse, someone who balances me out.

I can't imagine what would come of me and Katniss being together. The world didn't do anything to deserve the nightmares of children we'd create. Maybe it's because I have Madge, maybe it's because I finally came around to realize exactly the kind of person that Katniss can be. But, also, maybe knowing that I can't have Katniss is what helped me move on. Whatever it is, I'm glad I didn't tell Katniss I loved her. Because I don't. I don't think I ever truly did. Madge is the only girl I've ever harsh reality of the situation is, I'm probably never going to see either of them again. I thought that when Katniss went back to the Arena, I'd at least have Madge there with me to soften the blow of Katniss dying in the Games. Now she's being ripped from my arms, and it isn't fair.

I knew I shouldn't have let her tell her dad the truth. I knew, deep down, it would only cause problems, but I also knew that it wasn't my place to get involved. Yes, I did get involved to some extent, but she was so dead-set on having her way, I knew I had to let her take her own punishment. Of course, I know that it was her problem that she needed to handle herself. I still blame myself.

As she walks away, I can see her fighting to keep her eyes in front of her. She keeps turning her head several centimeters before turning it back quickly. Watching her walk away from me hurts more than I expected. What's to say I ever see her again? I press my back up against the wall and sink down to a sitting position. I place my head in my hands and take a minute to think about things. My first impulse is to confront the mayor about this. Maybe I can talk him out of it…after considering things a little more, I realize how much more trouble Madge could be in if I do so.

_I just wish we had more time._

After a while of just sitting there, I stand up and stretch my arm above my head. The sun is beginning to set, and I know that I need to get home soon. After the Hob burned down a while ago, there hasn't been one place in particular to trade. Sure, Greasy Sae still cooks up concoctions, but it's done in her own kitchen and sold out of her back window. The fence surrounding District Twelve is charged 24 hours a day now, so I haven't been out hunting in what feels like forever. The only reason that my family is getting by is that I'm back in the mines full time. Not only that, but my mother began to get customers again. Or should I say customer? I don't know who it is, and I haven't asked, but someone in Twelve stopped by on Reaping day with some laundry for my mom to do. They must be paying generously, too, because I've been noticing that my mother has been buying real butcher meat lately in addition to buying Posy a new pair of shoes.

I walk in the door to my house and it seems like the kids come flying at me from all directions. Posy and Vick are tugging on my sleeves, and Rory keeps shouting my name. I get Posy and Vick to settle down so I can hear Rory.

"What's goin' on, Ror?" I ask, kicking off my boots.

"I need to talk to you," he sounds nervous.

"What about?" I ask.

"I just need to talk to you," he repeats through gritted teeth. I wonder what it could be that has him so rattled. I motion for him to follow me into our bedroom in the back of the house, and he does. I close the door behind us and raise my eyebrows at him.

"Um, I kind of heard something today but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you about it," he says, wringing his hands.

"Out with it," I reply, pulling my dirty mining shirt off.

"Well…" he looks unsure.

"C'mon, Ror, you can tell me." I pull a fresh shirt over my head and shake the coal dust out of my hair.

"Okay well I was playing stickball with my friends by the entrance to the meadow today and Jake kept talking, uh, he was talking about how his brother works in the mines with you," he explains. I look at him quizzically, trying to figure out if there's some sort of hidden meaning behind this. "I asked who his brother was, and he said his name is Bristol," Rory says.

"Yeah, Bristol's a good guy. We went to school together, he was in my year. What about him?"

"Well at this point, everyone else started playing another game so it was just me and Jake talking. He said that the other day, someone knocked on his door and Bristol was talking to whoever it was for a long time. Jake listened to them talking and he told me that they were trying to figure out when the best time was to do something. They kept talking about…" he trails off.

"About what?"

"Rebellion. They were talking about rebelling against District Twelve," he says with a shaky voice. For a minute, I don't say anything. My first thought is making sure Rory and his friend don't tell anyone else about this. My second thought is how much I want to jam my fist in Bristol's gut for not being more careful. "When he told me this, I figured it had your name all over it. So…are you involved? Like in these rebellion plans," he asks.

Well, this isn't exactly what I had expected when he said he needed to talk to me, that's for sure. "Rory…" I begin. He must sense that he's about to be shut down, because he crosses his arms across his chest and glares at me.

"Don't look at me like that, Rory. This stuff is complicated, and you should stay out of it, okay?"

"No, Gale. Don't talk to me like I'm a baby, because I'm not. I'm thirteen, which is how old you were when Dad died. You went hunting and trading at thirteen, and I'm not allowed to ask a question and get an honest answer? That isn't fair," he fires back.

Damn, I've taught him well. I never thought he'd actually be brave enough to fight me, though. "You're right, it isn't fair. But that's how it is," I respond, praying he just drops the whole matter.

"That's not an acceptable answer, Gale! I'm not a baby, I can handle the truth," he snaps.

"Did you ever think about why I might not want to tell you about everything going on?" I shout. He shrugs his shoulders. "Because it's scary. It's illegal, and it is most certainly not for a thirteen year old to be involved with!" I yell.

"Just tell me!" he screams. I know my mother can hear everything from where she stands in the kitchen, making supper. Posy and Vick, too. But I don't care- they know to ignore it and not ask questions.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I'm involved. Yes, I've been helping plan this whole thing. The whole plan has been ready for a few days now. If one of our tributes is killed in the Games, we go into action. We have weapons and ammo ready, and dynamite so we can blow up the Peacekeeper Home. Happy? Now you know everything," I mutter. He looks shocked more than anything. I think, deep down, he knew I had a role in this, but I think there was some part of him hoping it wasn't true.

"Why? Why do you feel the need to do stuff like this, huh? It's so selfish!" he exclaims.

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Hunting. Trading. Openly hating the Capitol. And now this, a rebellion? You only think about yourself! You never think about what's good for anyone but you!" he cries.

"What? Are you kidding me? I never think about myself! Everything I do is because of all of you!" I shout.

"No, Gale! You don't get it! You don't always need to be the hero!"

"What are you talking about?" I ask, beginning to calm down.

"I'm talking about this rebellion. You think that all of the other people in this District want out as bad as you do? Because they don't. Everyone here has something to live for, something that gets them out of bed in the morning. You can't just go and destroy the whole district because a few miners who are down on their luck want to. It's not fair to just destroy everything because you think _you_ deserve it. It's no better than what the Capitol does," he narrows his eyes at me.

"What do you mean it's no better than what the Capitol does?" I challenge.

"I mean that aren't looking out for what's best for the people. You claim that it's all because you guys want a better life, but what about everyone else? There are eight thousand people in Twelve, and you and a few others are ready to ruin life for all of the rest of us! It's selfish!" he replies.

"Well, I'm sorry that you feel like that, but that's just how it is. Now, you're not to tell anyone about this, do you understand? I'm not kidding Rory, and you're to tell Jake the same. No one is allowed to know about this, do you understand?"

"No."

"Rory, don't you get fresh with me, I am completely serious. You need to keep your mouth shut about this," I say.

"Why would I do that?" he snaps.

"Because if this gets back to an official or even to the Capitol, we're totally screwed_. All_ of us. Don't think they won't do anything about it, because they will," I explain.

"I don't see how it matters, either way it all goes to hell, right?" he retorts.

"Rory, enough!" I shout, and his eyes go wide.

"Well, I don't! See the difference, I mean."

"It's not up for discussion. You keep your mouth closed, and you best make sure Jake does the same," I say firmly.

"I don't have a say in this, do I?" he asks, surprising me.

"Not really, no."

"Fine," he says, and then storms out. I let out a noise of frustration and sit on the mattress. I try to wrap my head around what just happened. I kills me to have to honestly say that I don't know to what extent I can trust Rory. What's to say that if he gets mad enough, he won't go off and rat on me?

Just then, my mother calls me to dinner. I sit across from Rory, and we spend the entire time staring each other down. My mom clearly notices the tension between us, but she doesn't mention it. Luckily, Vick and Posy have turned their attention to explaining the rules of a game they made up, and seem to have forgotten about the screaming they heard just minutes ago.

After dinner, I do the dishes so the kids can play Vick and Posy's new game and Ma can do laundry. We're interrupted from our various activities by the loud gong that sounds throughout the district signaling the beginning of tonight's Games.

Last year, I barely watched the Games. Most nights, I snuck under the fence and sat in the woods, just thinking about everything. This year, I haven't been so lucky - the fence is charged all day now. As much as I hate it, I walk into the main room and start up our television. As soon as I sit down on the floor, Posy crawls into my lap. I bounce her up and down on my knees, and she erupts into a fit of giggles.

"Gale, stop that, she just ate!" my mother scolds. With one last bounce, I straighten my legs out so Posy drops back onto my lap. She presses her face up against mine and wraps her arms around my neck. Her cheek is sticky against mine, but I don't mid. I can't believe Posy is going to be six soon. Looking back on it makes me feel terrible.

We've both grown up the last six years, but in different ways. I spent six years sneaking off to the woods and struggling to feed the family while she spent six years learning to crawl, toddle, walk, and skip. I learned how to skin a rabbit, she learned how to plait hair. As I start to think about it, I realize I didn't actually get to watch her grow up in the way I would have liked. I remember her crawling one Sunday morning when I left for the woods to meet Katniss. When I returned that evening, she was walking. Sure, I'm not her father, but I'm the closest thing she has to one. And if I were her father, I'd be a pretty lousy one for missing so much. I pull her closer to me, as if it could somehow make up for those short six years I missed out on.

The anthem, along with the seal of Panem comes on the screen and Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith welcome us to the night's live footage of the Arena. Because eight o'clock until ten o'clock is mandatory viewing time, we are given a short re-cap of what happened during the day for the tributes. During the Games, mine shifts are cut in half and everyone is to be in their homes or in the square for mandatory viewing by eight. However, the Games are broadcast twenty-four hours a day. The only time that the Seam has steady electricity is during the Games and during the Victory Tour, when we are forced to watch daily recaps each night.

Not much happened today, except for Katniss and Peeta getting cozy on the beach while everyone else slept. I have to say, when Peeta announced that Katniss was pregnant, I wasn't surprised. Of course, I know she isn't really, I know it's all an act, and whether or not she was in on it from the beginning, she is now. I have to say, they're really doing a good job dragging this star-crossed lovers thing out.

I was a little skeptical at first, especially because Peeta is _not _Katniss's type…if she even has a type. Especially because of the way they acted between the Games last year and their Victory Tour- it was as if they hated each other. But when they returned from the Victory Tour, it was if everything changed. They came back engaged, which, in the scheme of things, wasn't exactly a huge surprise. When I would help them train for the Games, they seemed pretty cozy too. Not a mushy, in-your-face couple, but they were comfortable around each other. He's super protective of her, and she's even more protective of him, if that's even possible.

Peeta shows Katniss something, and it takes me a second to register that it's the golden locket he had showed me about a week before this year's Reaping. It was the weirdest thing- he just knocked on my door one night and asked me to come help him with something for Katniss. I expected it to be some sort of training, but I was wrong. He made me sit while he _took my picture_. It was awful..but he showed me the piece of jewelry he was going to put it in, a gorgeous thing of real gold. In the old days, it could have kept both me _and_ Katniss out of the woods for several weeks.

He presents her with the locket, they exchange romantic words, and then Finnick Odair, the male tribute from Four, interrupts. I'm really glad he does, because Posy is looking very uncomfortable watching the little love-fest Katniss and Peeta have going on here. The re-cap cuts to a scene of the remaining Career tributes looking for food, and I scoot Posy off of my lap so I can get a glass of water. While I'm in the kitchen, I decide to finish drying dishes and put them back where they belong.

"Gale, come here! We don't know what they're doing," my mother calls from the other room. I drop the metal spoon I was in the middle of drying on the counter with a clang and practically run into the main room. I resume my spot on the floor and focus on the television projecting onto the wall in front of us. It would appear that Katniss and the District Seven girl, Johanna Mason, are walking away from the rest of the alliance, unraveling a large spool of copper wire. I turn to my mom and shrug, I can't think of what they could possibly be doing.

The shot cuts to Claudius and Caesar discussing tonight's events. Just as Claudius remarks on the lack of action, a loud scream is heard. Posy flinches and grabs my hand. I pull her onto my lap again as the shot returns to the Arena, where Johanna Mason has Katniss pinned down. Posy's hand tightens around mine like a teeny, tiny vice. I hold her tightly up against my chest and command her to close her eyes. I'm glad I do, because just as she begins to sniffle into my chest, Johanna digs her knife into Katniss's arm. I grit my teeth, and I hear Vick cry out. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him crawl into mom's lap, and she begins stroking his hair as he whimpers. Rory, on the other hand, sits rigidly in the worn armchair in the corner of the room. His eyes are locked on the screen in front of us.

The cameras thankfully cut away from Katniss, who is lying in a puddle of her own blood, and pan the forest before settling on what appears to be the second bloodbath of the Games, the first being the Cornucopia. Fists are flying, spears are being flung, and the glint of a knife can be made out in between the mess of people. Posy isn't even watching, but she can hear the screams, and she is full on bawling now. She shouldn't be subject to this, she's far too young. Just as I'm about to bring her to bed, I glance at the screen. Katniss is running, poised with a knife raised above her head. The copped wiring is wrapped around the knife, and suddenly, she stops in her tracks. Without further consideration, she releases the knife, and it flies through the air. I want to scream at her for wasting a perfectly good weapon by throwing it at nothing, but suddenly, the knife stops mid-air.

Sparks explode and rain down over the arena, and then, black. No commentary, no closing messages, just black. All five of us are watching the screen now, but there's nothing. For a minute, everything is black, before a loud song starts coming from the television, and there's a shot of a Capitol family on the family. "On this episode of My Stylist's Mistress, Ravi encounters-" I stand up and shut off the television. I can't put it all together, with what just happened, except that the Capitol is acting like _nothing_ happened.

I need time to think about this all, and I'm glad when Ma tells all of us to go to bed. I swing Posy up into my arms and haul her to the mattress she shares with Mom. I herd the boys into our bedroom, settle onto my mattress, and find myself staring up at the ceiling. I think about the Games a little bit, but I soon find myself thinking about Madge instead. Is she even in the District still? A lot could have happened in the few hours since we said our goodbyes. I wonder if she'll ever come back to Twelve. Suddenly, I realize what everything means in the Games. I should have known what she was thinking as soon as Peeta hit that force field a couple of days back. It all comes together, and I know exactly what happened tonight. Honestly, it scares me a little bit. I know the Capitol won't let this go, it was clearly intentional. I can't help but wonder how they'll handle this. How she knew exactly where to throw the knife is the real wonder in this situation, though.

As hard as it is, I push thoughts of the Games from my mind and try to focus on falling asleep. My mind shifts to other things, happy memories of my father, Katniss, and Madge. Miraculously, sleep finds me rather quickly.


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Two sides to every story, right? Here's how Madge's day went down. Also, real fast...there's a HG excerpt in here. However, I did change a few words around so that it fit for Madge's point of view instead of Katniss's (as it was in the book.) So I figure I should probably throw a disclaimer out there with this one-**_

_**The section in italics = not mine. **_

_**The Hunger Games = also not mine. **_

_**Gale, Madge, Katniss, District Twelve, the Capitol, and all other HG characters, places, and events = still not mine.**_

_**Suzanne Collins = Genius.**_

_**...Enjoy!  
><strong>_

_Chapter 18._

_Madge POV_

Walking away from Gale is one of the worst things I've ever experienced. I can still taste our last kiss on my lips, and all of the feeling behind it courses through my veins, making it more and more difficult to keep my eyes on the road in front of me. I want nothing more than to look over my shoulder and go back with Gale, but deep down, I know it will only make it harder in the end. Better to leave it at the goodbye we just had, to end with a good memory.

Both of my parents are standing in the kitchen, waiting for me when I get home. When I come through the back door, my dad exclaims, "Madge! Where have you been?"

"Out," is all I say. Without waiting for a response, I brush past him and climb the stairs two at a time. Once safely in my room, I lie on my bed and stare up at my white ceiling. It doesn't take long before the tears start up, this time silent. There's a soft knock at my door, and before I have time to yell at whoever it is to go away, my mother comes into my room and sits down on the bed.

"How ya doing, sweetie?" she asks, picking up my head and placing it in her lap. She begins to stroke my hair. I want to yell at her to stop and to leave me alone, but it's been so long since she's done anything like this, I lie there and let her. She launches into the lecture that I've been waiting for- we love you, this is for your own good, there are worse things that could happen, blah blah blah. None of it means anything to me.

When she's finished talking, I respond with, "Gale and I broke up."

"What?" she asks, more surprised than I expected.

"I went to the mines when his shift ended earlier and I told him I was going away," I say.

"And he broke up with you for that?" she asks, eyebrows creased in thought.

"No. I told him goodbye."

"Why would you do that?"

Now, I'm irritated with her. "Mother, I'm not going to sit here like nothing's happening! You and Daddy ripped my world out from under me. You're not giving me any answers, and for all I know, when you knocked on my door a minute ago, it could have been to tell me that a car's here to take me away. I'm not going to leave Gale hanging- he deserves closure. Just like I do, except I'm the one who isn't getting it." With that, I stand up and walk out of _my own bedroom_.

I don't exactly know where to go, so I run into the bathroom and turn on the shower. I don't even take off my clothes, I just sit on the floor of the bathtub and let the warm water rain over me. I sit in there, crying, until the water turns cold. Even then, it takes me a minute to register the fact that I'm shivering before I get up and turn off the water. I strip off my wet clothes and wrap myself in a fluffy towel. I sneak a look at myself in the mirror- red, bloodshot eyes and puffy bags under my eyes. _Attractive. _

I shuffle across the hall into my room, which luckily is void of my mother. I put on pajamas, even though it's still fairly early. And then, because I have nothing better to do, I pull my large black duffel bag out of my closet and began to place clothes in it. I leave three outfits in my closet, just in case I have more time in Twelve than I'm expecting.

When everything I'm going to need in my new home is packed up and sitting at the foot of my bed, I crawl onto my mattress and lie in the fetal position. I'm crying again, which I don't notice until I see wet marks on my pillow. I know I need to go downstairs and watch the Games soon, but I can't find any good reason as to why I would do so. There's a light knock at my door. "Leave me alone, Mother!" I cry.

"It's me, open your door please." My father's voice booms from the other side of the door.

"No!" I shout, turning over in my bed to face away from the door.

"Margaret," the warning tone of his voice doesn't even bother me. I don't reply, silently daring him to challenge me. After a moment of dead silence, I hear him let out a long sigh. Then, I hear my door handle twist and my father enters the room. I silently curse myself for forgetting to lock the door.

"I know your mother tried to explain things to you a little better today-" he begins, but I cut him off.

"You can skip over this whole 'we love you' spiel and save your breath, because I'm not believing a word of it," I say, still staring at my wall.

"Fine. A car will be here tomorrow, are you packed?"

"Yes."

"Very well. The Wallings are coming over for supper in a little while, I'd appreciate it if you did something about your appearance. How about that nice white dress you wore for the Reaping last year?"

"Okay," I respond, praying he takes my one-word answers as his cue to leave.

"I don't need your attitude, young lady."

"I'm not using an attitude," I reply calmly.

"Yes you are. You have been ever since you started hanging around that miner last winter. Don't think I don't know about the morphling you gave him. He is nothing but trouble, and it's started to rub off on you."

I sit up in bed and face him. "How can you even say that? Have you ever tried taking the time to get to know him? Or did you just hope he'd run his course like all of the other boys did and move along, find someone else?"

"There it is, that attitude. You're really getting to be a piece of work, Madge."

"I'm _not _a piece of work. Has your best friend gone to the Hunger Games? Did you have to watch someone you care about fight for her life? Are you currently in the middle of watching it a second time?" I challenge.

"I'm watching my daughter throw away her future by being with some shady miner, does that count for anything?" he snaps.

That does it. I throw my legs onto the floor and stand up, placing my hands on my hips.

"Listen. You can send me away, you can take me away from everyone I love, you can even tell me what to wear. However, you cannot talk about Gale like that. He's twice the man that you'll ever be, and I'm pretty sure he cares about me more than you do!" I shout.

His mouth opens into a perfect "o", he's totally taken aback. I brace myself for the screaming, but instead my father grits his teeth and takes a deep breath. "Margaret, I don't know where you get the idea that you can talk to me like this. It is beyond rude and it will not be tolerated. Are we clear?"

I nod.

"Good. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes," he says.

"Fine."

With that, he walks out, closing the door rather loudly. Oddly, I don't have the urge to cry. No tears, not even the telltale burning in the back of my throat. Instead, I unzip my huge bag at the foot of my bed and dig around until I find my white dress. It is folded neatly towards the top, the pink ribbon I wore with it last year tied around one of the straps. I untie the ribbon and place it back into the bag, no need for that tonight. I hold the dress up to the light. Before I put it on, I hold it in my hands and examine it closely. I run my finger over the slight run in the fabric where my Aunt Maysilee's pin was fastened at last year's Reaping.

_"Pretty dress," says Gale._

_I shoot him a look, trying to see if it's a genuine compliment or if he's just being ironic. It is a pretty dress, but I would never be wearing it ordinarily. I press my lips together then smile. "Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?"_

_Now it's Gale's turn to be confused. Do I mean it? Or am I messing with him? More of the second._

_"You won't be going to the Capitol," he says coolly. His eyes land on the small, circular pin that adorns my dress. It's real gold. Beautifully crafted. A mockingjay, I think it is called. "What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was just twelve years old."_

_"That's not her fault," Katniss says._

_"No, it's no one's fault. Just the way it is," says Gale._

_I press the money for the berries into Katniss's hand. "Good luck, Katniss."_

_"You, too," she says, and I close the door._

The sound of the doorbell snaps me out of my trance, and I quickly change into the dress. I slide a pair of gold sandals onto my feet and plait my damp hair down my back. I pad down the stairs and say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Walling, my parents' friends, and their two young children. Thus begins an evening of fake smiles, overdone chicken, and thoughts about what the morning will bring.

When the Wallings leave, my mother and father sit on the couch in the formal living room to watch the Games. I follow them and sit down in an armchair in front of the television, curling my legs up under me. Tonight's games are just getting started. Katniss and Peeta are both still alive, and it would appear they have made a rather big alliance. The group is huddled in a circle around a length of what appears to be a large spool of wire.

The volume is down too low for me to hear what is said, but all of a sudden, Katniss and that girl Johanna Mason have one end of the wire line and they're walking away from the rest of the group, effectively unraveling a length of wire. The cameras switch to another alliance in the arena, this one between several intimidating careers. The woman, Enobaria, keeps repeating some sort of chant over and over again.

At first I think she's gone mad like old Wiress, or maybe has some sort of a nervous tick. But then it's clear. Almost like a mantra- Fight. Kill. Win. Fight. Kill. Win. Over and over, she repeats the string of words until the cameras cut back to Katniss and Johanna unraveling the long spool of wire. After a minute of this, the screen with the Games on it shrinks to a small square in the lower left corner, and Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman appear, sitting behind a large desk, offering commentary.

They go back and forth with cheesy jokes and random statistics about the Games, no doubt trying to kill time until something interesting happens. Then, Claudius Templesmith remarks, "I'd be very surprised if the Gamemakers don't intervene soon. The people want action!" Caesar agrees with him, and the men share a laugh. What happens next is absolutely terrifying. There's a shout coming from the arena, and the men disappear, their picture replaces with live feeds from the Arena.

Katniss is laying on the ground, the crumpled spool of wire next to her. Johanna Mason has her pinned down, and has a knife poised over Katniss's arm. I shriek, and my mother gasps. I want to cover my eyes, but something has me drawn to the television in front of me…I can't look away. I watch as Johanna growls something in Katniss's direction and digs the knife deep into her arm, twisting it as she goes. Katniss yells out in pain, and tries to fight back at first. However, Johanna says something else to her, and Katniss suddenly stops and stays somewhat still.

Johanna jumps up and runs off, leaving Katniss lying on the ground covered in her own blood. Why she cut her in the arm I can't imagine, but I'm glad it's not a vital organ. Katniss is a born fighter, so I'm not surprised when I see her get to her feet and disappear into the thick of the woods. The camera pans across the forest before settling on the area where the real show is going down. The career tributes and the remainder of Katniss's alliance are involved in intense hand-to-hand combat. Hands are everywhere, everyone's screaming, and the ground is stained red.

I wrap my arms around my knees and close my eyes, trying to block everything out. I hear a familiar scream and open my eyes. Katniss has the length of wire coiled around a knife, and before I know what's happening, the knife is flying through the air. It stops mid-air, and for a split second, it looks like it has lodged in something invisible. Suddenly, sparks start flying across the arena, there's a loud screeching noise, and everything goes black. No anthem, no seal of Panem, just black. I turn to my dad, silently asking for some sort of an explanation. All I get in response is a "Madge, I think you should go to bed. Long day tomorrow."

I want to scream at him to tell me what just happened, to not act like everything is perfectly okay, but I don't. I do as he says and go to my room. I take off the beautiful white dress, and as I place it back in the duffel, I have to wonder if Gale was serious about what he said…_pretty dress. _

I brush my hair out and pile it into a bun on the top of my head. I haven't succeeded in keeping make up on my face in the last several days, but I wash my face anyway. As I climb into bed, I can't help but wonder what happened in the Games tonight. Maybe there was a camera malfunction or technical difficulties of some sort. Or maybe something more serious happened, after all, it happened at the hands of Katniss- anything's possible.

I can't fall asleep, between wondering about the Games and thinking about tomorrow. Usually, the thing dominating my mind is Gale. This is especially true tonight. As I stare up at my ceiling, I wonder what he is thinking about. Does he know what happened in the Games tonight? Does he miss me as much as I miss him, even though I'm not gone yet? Will he move on when I am gone? Will the laundry be enough to keep his family fed until he has to let Rory take out Tesserae? My mind is racing.

I reach under my bed and pull out my old stuffed rabbit. I roll on my side and cradle the old toy in my arms, breathing in the comforting scent of my youth. I eventually drift off to sleep as the sky begins to turn pink with dawn. I'm woken up to the sound of a car door slamming outside of my window. I sit up in bed and look out to see an official District Twelve car parked in front of my house. A peacekeeper sits behind the wheel of the parked car, and an unfamiliar young woman gets out of the vehicle and walks up to the front door. She can't be much older than I am, yet I still wonder if she's the Aunt Lara that my parents spoke of. When she rings the doorbell, my father calls my name and tells me to get ready. I throw on an old pair of slacks and a tattered shirt, not bothering to put on makeup or even brush my hair. I plait it down my back, leaving the loose strand at the end looking dry and frayed.

I know my parents will be mortified with my appearance, but it serves them right. I notice a small hole in the knee of my pants, and as a slap in the face to my mother and father, I use my fingers to rip it open more so it's noticeable. I slip on a pair of ratty tennis shoes and grab my stuffed rabbit off the bed. I carefully place him in my bag and turn off the light to my bedroom. As I close the door, I have to concentrate on the floor to avoid looking back at my bedroom and getting emotional.

At the bottom of the stairs waits both of my parents along with the mystery woman. At the sight of me, my mother's eyes grow to the size of dinner plates and her mouth drops open. "Madge, is that what you're wearing?" she asks, pressing her lips into a tight line. I nod. She opens her mouth to respond, but my father nudges her and she backs down, opting for a nod instead.

"Madge, this is Scarlett, she's your cousin- my niece," my father introduces us. She's gorgeous, with auburn hair that falls in waves to her waist and bright green eyes. I regret my choice of dress when I take in her beautiful black dress that skims her knees. She's paired it with a pair of woven sandals and a beautiful black cuff bracelet. Suddenly self-conscious, I nod at her, and she lifts her hand in response. "You'll be staying with Scarlett and her mother, your Aunt Lara, alright?" I nod. He wraps his arms around me and says, "You be good, kiddo."

I promised myself I wasn't going to cry about this any more, but saying goodbye to my parents is the hardest thing I've ever done, even worse than saying goodbye to Gale. Somehow, I miraculously manage to keep it together. My mother hugs me next, whispering, "It's because we love you."

"Goodbye Daddy, goodbye Mother. I'll write you," I say, even though I know I won't.

"Bye, honey. Behave, alright?" says my mother.

"We love you, Madge, you know that right?" This from my father. I nod, even though I seriously doubt it sometimes. "It was nice watching you grow up, we wouldn't trade those memories for anything," he continues. Suddenly, my sadness is replaced with anger.

"Don't make me go, Daddy. I told you, I'll be good! Trust me, this isn't for the better," I plead.

"Don't start this up again, Madge. Not now. You're going, and that is final," he replies with a straight face.

Suddenly, the self-consciousness I was feeling earlier by standing next to Scarlett disappears. "Please!" I beg, not caring that I look like a whiny child. He just shakes his head no.

"Don't you dare, Madge..." he begins.

"I...I hate you!" I shout. I grab my bag as Scarlett, wide-eyed, opens the front door. I look back at my parents and instantly feel full of regret. I open my mouth to apologize and say one last goodbye, but I'm cut off by a loud whistling coming from overhead. The shadow of a hovercraft casts down on the district, and I see something fall out from the large flying thing. Suddenly, people are screaming. My dad runs to the door, looks outside, curses loudly, and slams the door shut. There's a deafening _boom _that sounds too close to be safe. Before I can ask what's happening, the ground seems to come up from under us and everything goes black.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I foolishly left home for a few days with this chapter still in progress, so I sincerely apologize for the wait. Yes, this is a shorter chapter than I'd originally planned, but I had to stop if where I did so that the next chapter works the way that I want it to and goes along with everything I have planned out. Bear with me! Next one should be up soon... and I'm not saying that and then going on vacation for a few days before finishing and posting again. _Soon_, I promise! :)**

_Chapter 19._

_Gale POV_

I wake up to a faint whistling sound coming from overhead. I ignore it and roll over in bed, but suddenly, a loud scream echoes from outside the bedroom I share with my brothers. My eyes snap open and scan the room. I see that both of my brothers are still sleeping soundly on the mattress they share. Without another thought, I jump up and run into the main room, where I see Posy standing by the window.

"Posy!" I call, running into the room. She turns around, throws the curtains closed, and runs toward me full speed. She barrels into me and I kneel down to meet her eyes. "What is it?" I ask, gripping her arms gently. My mom comes into the room at this point, and comes over to us. "Posy?" I remind her. She just points to the window and starts crying. I look at my mother, silently begging her to help me out here. My mom reaches down and scoops Posy up, carrying her out of the room. I pull open the curtains and my jaw hits the floor.

Only several hundred feet away, I can see flames licking at the sky. Dark gray smoke is snaking up towards the early morning sky. I follow the trail of smoke and my eyes land on a few hovercraft flying silently overhead. Suddenly, there's a loud noise that comes from the distance. If I had to guess, it would be somewhere in Town. It doesn't take me long to realize what this is- punishment for whatever Katniss did in the Games last night. I'm not sure what it was exactly that she did, but I'll bet everything to my name that the several hovercraft in the sky have the Capitol seal stamped on the side.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn around. It's Rory. Before I can say anything to him, he runs up to the window. I take a step back so he can see what's happening. For a moment, he just stares out at the flames in the distance. "Ror?" I ask. He turns around to look at me, and I can see the fear in his eyes.

"W-What's happening?" he asks incredulously. I can sense the terror and confusion in his voice. Seeing him like this makes it practically impossible to remember the boy who yelled at me with such intensity last night. I have to remember that he's only thirteen years old, still a child. At thirteen, I had seen much worse than he ever has (and probably ever will). But that just means I'm doing my job right.

"Rory, go find Mom," I instruct, running a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of this all.

"No, tell me what's happening!" he argues, returning to the angry boy I saw last night. I open my mouth to yell for my mom, but I realize that sooner or later, he's going to find out what's happening. And in a situation like this, every second counts.

"Rory, something very bad is happening. I'm not sure what it is yet, but it's bad. I need you to be strong, okay? Remember when Dad died and I had to take over?"

He nods.

"I need you to do that now. I need you to be strong, alright? You're thirteen, a big kid now. I need you to help out if needed, and you can't be arguing with me every second. Got it?"

He nods again.

"Good. Now, go back with Mom, okay? And remember what I told you - strong." I instruct, and he surprisingly turns and walks away from me. I glance out the window again, and see the black smoke is rapidly approaching out house. I'm running through possibilities in my mind when a loud pounding on the front door interrupts my thoughts.

"Bristol!" I cry out, opening the door. "What the hell is going on?" I ask, trying to keep calm.

"The…the…the Capitol. The Games last night….we have…we have to get out," he pants.

"I knew it," I growl. Bristol catches his breath and I let him inside.

"They dropped two small explosives in the woods outside of the district. The first was two miles off to the east. The next was on the east too, but only about a mile out. We don't know what their strategy for that is though," he explains.

It doesn't take me long to figure it all out. "They're trapping us. There's more coming, there has to be. They'll bomb all around us first so that we can't get out then they'll actually drop bombs inside the fence. What's the spacing like?" I ask.

"There was one bomb five minutes ago, and the first was fifteen minutes ago. So ten minutes between bombs, six bombs remaining. That's an hour until they directly hit us. Our last to change to get out is in forty minutes," I explain. I'm praying that the next bombs come in the south, then the west. I know my way at least eight or so miles through the north, the entrance by the meadow.

"Gale, we need to get going! Like, right now. We have all of that ammo and even a few small explosives stashed in my basement, we need to round up the guys, get out there, and fight back," he says.

I consider what he's saying, and shake my head.

"What?" he asks.

"We can't. It doesn't make sense. We just need to focus on getting out," I say.

"Sorry, who are you and what have you done with Gale?" he chuckles, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me playfully.

"I'm serious, Bristol. You take the Seam, get everyone out. I'll take Town. Take them to the meadow and I'll meet you there in a half hour," I say, scanning the room for my boots. I see them next to the worn sofa. I scoop them up and sit down, slipping them on my feet.

"But-" he begins to argue.

"No! It isn't worth it, just get everyone out. Bring everyone to the meadow, we can reconvene there. From there, I'm thinking we go into the woods, assuming they bomb the north side of the district, where we'll be, last. If that doesn't happen and the north side is already on fire, we'll have to figure something else out. But we need to get going, wasted time equals wasted lives. I'll send my family with you while I sweep Town and make sure everyone gets out. Bring the explosives though, if we get to the woods, I have no doubt the fence is going to be on." I instruct, lacing up my boots and standing up with a sigh.

"Okay." I'm shocked that he isn't putting up more of a fight, but I'm thankful for it at the same time.

"I'll take some weapons just in case, and you do the same. I'll meet you at your house in five minutes, I need to tell my family what to do," I say.

He nods and lets himself out.

"Ma?" I call, and she comes into the room, trailed by all three kids.

"What's happening, Gale?" Rory demands. His harsh tone surprises me. Our short talk must have reached him, and he probably realized the severity of the situation. I fight back the urge to smile, I'm proud of him.

"Listen. Something is happening, and we're going to be away from home for a little while. Right now, I'm going to give Mom a bag. Each of you pick one thing you want to take with you and give it to her. Put on real clothes and your shoes, and be ready in a few minutes. Mom is going to take you to my buddy Bristol's house. I want you guys to do whatever he tells you, alright? Listen to him, and just make sure you're in the meadow in a half hour. I'll see you there, but I have something I need to take care of first," I say, trying to be vague about the situation but explicit in my instructions to them. I make eye contact with my mom and motion for her to follow me to the corner of the room.

Once we're out of earshot of the kids, I hand her my empty hunting bag. "There are two canteens on the table in the kitchen. Fill them with water. Bring whatever food you can, and make sure the kids each have a change of socks and they wear their good boots. Make sure everyone has a jacket and be out of the house as soon as possible. Go to Bristol's house. It's four houses down, on the corner. Do what he says, I'll meet you in the meadow."

My mom nods and grabs my hand. She must know what's happening by now. She gives my hand a squeeze and reached up to kiss my cheek. "Be safe, honey."

"I will," I reply. We walk back over to where the kids are standing.

"Okay, guys. I'm off. I'll see you in the meadow in a half hour, alright? Be good, and listen to Mom and Bristol," I instruct. They all nod.

"Bye, Gale. See you in a little bit." This from Rory. I nod at him, silently praying he can stay calm long enough to help the rest of the family out of danger.

Vick steps forward. "Uh, bye." His bottom lip is quivering and he's looking up at me with watery eyes. I squat down in front of him, ruffling his hair.

"Don't worry bud, everything's fine. Just listen to Bristol, he knows what to do, okay?" I say.

"Okay," he replies, wrapping his arms around my neck. "I'll be brave, I promise," he whispers in my ear, tightening his grip around my neck. As hard as it is for me to deal with this happening, I realize that it must be even harder for an eleven year old kid. As I detach myself from his surprisingly iron grip, I stand up and run my hand through my hair. I really need to get going.

"See you soon, guys," I reply. Posy wraps her arms around my legs and I bend down, giving her a proper hug. "I'll be fine, Posy, and so will you. Stick with Mom and make sure the boys behave. See you in a little," I say, standing up.

Mom herds them to the back bedrooms, no doubt to ready them for whatever it is that comes next. I dash into the kitchen and grab my knife from the top drawer, sliding it into my boot. I grab my leather jacket and run out the door, not bothering to close it behind me.

When I take my first breath of the outdoor air, I'm shocked at the thickness of the smoke around me. I cough violently, trying to clear my lungs of the thick black stuff in the air. I yank my shirt up over my mouth and run down the street to Bristol's house.

I don't even knock, I just push open his front door and run inside. He's standing at his kitchen table looking down at a box of weapons. He looks up at me, nodding in greeting.

"My family will be here soon," I say, dropping the shirt from my mouth and coughing some more. He nods and hands me a small handgun, which I slip under my waistband at the small of my back. I grab a two knives out of the box, putting one in each pocket. I also grab a magazine of bullets and place that in my pocket as well. Finally, I grab a small gray cube.

"That has enough power in one blast to do serious damage to a building or house. Should be enough to knock out a hovercraft, too. When you have to use it, twist the pin on the top of it and pull it out. Then shake the bomb, put the pin back in and throw it. It doesn't explode on contact, but it sticks to whatever it lands on. Then you have between two and three seconds to run like hell before it explodes," Bristol explains. Sounds easy enough. I pocket the bomb, which can't be larger than an apple, and nod at Bristol.

"I'll see you soon," he says, rummaging through the box again.

"Thanks, man!" I call over my shoulder, running back out the door.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Another shortie, but a goodie (I promise). Again, had to stop where I did, I hope you understand. Happy reading!**  
><em>

_Chapter 20._

_Madge POV_

My eyes flutter open and before I can register my surroundings, I hear screams. They're coming from all directions, surrounding me, burrowing through my brain and lodging permanently in my mind. The panic and the terror behind the voices calling out is too much to handle and I find my eyes closing again. But, suddenly, there's silence. Silence so eerie and so surprising that I can feel the gooseflesh erupt and cover my body. The silence is interrupted by a strong whistle coming from not too far away. At the exact second that the whistling stops, the ground starts shaking and a loud noise splits through the room. More screaming is the last thing I remember before everything goes black again.

_**Gale POV**_

I run past screaming people in the Seam, trusting that Bristol will take care of them and get them to safety. I'm focused on getting into Town and getting my half of the population of Twelve out in time. I push through a throng of people running for their homes, I'm determined to make it to Town and back before the last blast hits, effectively trapping us.

I run across the Town-Seam border as the shadow of a hovercraft covers the District. I don't stop running until I hear the whistling sound coming from far away. I drop to the ground with such force that I can practically hear the air leave my lungs. I throw my hands over my head, prepared for the bomb to hit the ground and for a wave to course through the District. Out of the corner of my eye, I see several other people take after my example and cover their heads and get on the ground. It turns out I'm absolutely correct in my assumptions, and the bomb hits, sending a long rattle across the district.

People fall to the ground, some scream, others get up and run, but most just remain on the ground, trying to catch their breath. I inhale so rapidly I'm surprised my lungs don't burst. The combination of rapid breathing mixed with the dense, polluted air provides for a tight sensation every time I inhale, but I try to ignore it as I stand up, run a quick inventory check in my pockets, and keep going.

I run into the square as the second blast hits. I'm not prepared for this one, and I hit the ground with everyone else, completely shocked. It takes me a second to regain my composure, bust I eventually stand up and dust myself off. I run to the first shop I see and shove the door open. It's the tailor's. An elderly couple is crouched in the corner, grabbing onto each other for dear life. A middle aged woman is sitting on the floor, holding a young, crying child in her arms. On the other side of the room, two girls are clutching each other and shaking. They look to be a little younger than I am. Upon further glance, I recognize the one girl as the annoying thing who brings over laundry for my mom a lot. I don't know her name, but I'd know her high pitched laugh anywhere.

"The Capitol is bombing us. Get whatever you can put in a knapsack and get to the meadow as soon as you can, we only have a half hour until they start dropping bombs inside the fence!" I explain hurriedly. They all look up at me with wide eyes, but they actually get to their feet and run into the back of the shop.

I run out the door and into the shop next door, the haberdashery. I repeat what I told the people in the tailor's shop, and run out the door. I repeat this process every time I see someone on the street and inside every shop with someone inside of it. I'm so caught up in what I'm doing, that by the last shop on the left of the Justice Building, I forget about the bombs coming in altogether. However, when the first blast of the third series hits, I hit the ground for what feels like the nth time. I quickly recover, getting to my feet and running across the square to the other side.

As I pass the Justice Building, I consider going inside there and warning people. But I think about who could be in there, people like Thread and people who probably helped Snow plan this._ On second thought, let them burn,_ I think as I run past the doors. I briefly entertain the idea of slipping my knife through the keyhole, effectively locking the suckers inside, but I quickly dismiss it, remembering my task at hand. I run through the next line of shops and a dozen or so clusters of people fairly quickly. I look around and see people running, towards the meadow thankfully, with knapsacks and shoulder bags, children in tow and jackets slung over their shoulders.

I hear a loud boom come from by the meadow, but it didn't sound like a bomb. A few seconds later, another one. Then a third. Suddenly, I realize what it is. Bristol's trying to get the fence down. Silly bastard, I told him to wait for me! If the next bomb comes in the north, we're all screwed! I try to visualize the box on his table earlier. Unless I'm wrong, which I'm pretty sure I'm not, there were only four explosives. I have one, and he just set three off.

So, unless he actually got the fence down, everyone should be safe in the meadow. There's nothing he can do until I arrive with the last explosive. I sigh, completely stressed out, as I run into the residential part of Town. Most people live above their shops, but there's a cluster of about four blocks of homes where the others live.

Just as I'm about to open the first door, the next bomb hits the ground, and consequentially, so do I. I jump to my feet quickly and proceed to shove open the door. I deliver my short spiel to the cowering family inside, and run onto the next house. The next three blocks are the same, and I'm glad I only have one more block to go before I can run to the meadow as well to help get everyone out for good.

I don't bother knocking as I run from house to house, down the final block of homes until I get to the last one. I shout at the group of people inside, and run out, past the entrance to Victor's Village, and towards the shortcut to the meadow.

_Victor's Village! _I curse under my breath. How could I forget? Prim and Mrs. E! I know I won't have enough time to get to them and to get myself out in time. I cross my fingers that they had the sense to get out of their home. But as the next bomb hits, not only do I slam into the asphalt, but I hit the realization that under no circumstances can I leave them. I also realize that this was the last safe bomb. We only have two bombs left- two miles outside the meadow, then one. Running through everything once more, I realize that I have ten minutes to get the Everdeens and get the hell _out. _

I shove the wrought-iron gates open and run to the Everdeen's mansion. I throw their door open. "Hello? Hello!" I shout, but there's no answer. I run through the house frantically. All of the lights are off, but the sink is on, water cascading over the sides, forming a small flood on the floor. I run over to the sink, slam the handle down, and shout again. "Prim? Mrs. Everdeen? Hello? Is anyone home?" I yell. Still no response.

I sigh, praying that they had the sense to leave. I quickly check the upstairs, only to find that it is void of any signs of either of the Everdeens. I sigh audibly and run out of the house, and out of Victor's Village, back into the residential area of Town. I crash into the ground once more as the next bomb hits, and I scream out in frustration. I get back to my feet and look around, mostly thankful that there is no one around, and also hoping that they got to the meadow in time. I hope Bristol has the sense to get that fence down somehow and get those people out.

As I'm running past house after house, it dawns on me that there's only one way to get the fence to shut off. I pick up speed, full on sprinting to the Justice Building. I run behind the massive building and find the large gray electrical box nestled behind a large shrub.

"**HIGH VOLTAGE, KEEP OUT**" reads a large red sticker plastered across it. I grab the explosive from my pocket and twist the pin out. I shove it back in, press the button on the side, and chuck it at the electrical box with all my might. I turn on my heel and run like hell away from the ticking bomb.

It explodes, and a shower of sparks rains down over everything in a fifty foot radius. Instead of dropping to the ground or being knocked over involuntarily, I keep running. Running, running, _running._ I run until I'm back in front of the Justice Building, this time on the other side. I turn to look behind me when I see it. Official's Village. A string of about a dozen homes hidden at the back of Twelve. Madge lived there.

My eyes widen with sudden realization. Madge didn't know when she was leaving. There's a chance she could still be there, possibly still inside her home. Abandoning all thoughts of the meadow, I high-tail it over to Official's Village. The Undersees live a few houses in, but I still run up to the other houses, knowing I'd never be able to sleep at night if I didn't at least check the houses. Luckily, they're empty.

Up ahead, I see the familiar looking house. There's a car parked out in front of the walkway that leads to the front door. The door to the house is closed, as are all of the windows and the drapes. Suddenly, not too far away, a loud boom sounds, echoing loudly, splitting open my eardrums and piercing through my head. I cry out in agony as I'm hurled at the cement sidewalk to my right. Everything is pitch black, but I can hear a whirring noise in my ear. It sounds like the fan they use at school on especially hot days. All of a sudden, the whirring noise stops altogether, and it's just black.

_**Madge POV**_

My eyelids snap open at the earsplitting sound coming from outside the door. I have a face full of carpet, and I stand up shakily to assess the situation and my surroundings. I have no idea what's going on. I see my parents lying on the floor several feet from where I stand. I jump over the big duffel bag laying in my path and crouch down next to them.

"Daddy?" I hiss, shaking him furiously. His eyes slowly open and he leaps to his feet, grabbing onto my shoulder to steady himself. I breathe a sigh a relief and start shaking my mother.

"Mother?" Nothing. "Mother!" I try again. She doesn't move. "Daddy, help me!" I shout, still shaking my mother. He squats down next to me and rolls her over so she's on her back. He gives her a light shake.

"Marcia!" he says firmly. Thankfully, her eyes open and she lets out a muffled groan. Her hand flies to her forehead, and it's only then that I notice the blood. There's a gash, maybe two inches across, straight in the middle of her forehead. I look up at my father frantically, looking for answers, an explanation, _anything. _He helps my mother to her feet and walks her over to the couch, where she sits down and my dad presses a blanket to her forehead.

I jump up and follow them, almost tripping over someone on the ground. _Scarlett. _I bend down and shake her gently. She sits up almost instantly and looks around, obviously confused. "Uncle Reynold?" she asks. My dad spins around and sees the two of us on the ground.

"Scarlett! Thank goodness," he sighs.

"What's happening?" I finally ask, helping Scarlett to her feet. For a minute, no one says anything, but then my dad speaks up.

"We're being bombed," he declares.

"What?" I'm sure I heard wrong.

"The Capitol is bombing us, Madge." He side-steps the coffee table and pushes back the curtains. Thick clouds of black smoke are swirling in the air on the other side of the large picture window. Before I can get a better look, he draws the curtains closed with a noise of frustration. He swears under his breath and turns to Scarlett and me.

"Scarlett, go into the kitchen and get me a wet dishrag for your Aunt Marcia. Madge, I want you to go outside- run as fast as you can. Go into the shed behind the house and grab the keys off of the left hand wall and bring them back in here. Go, as fast as you can!" he instructs.

Instead of arguing, I just do as I'm told. I run through the house to the back door, and pull it open. I can feel intense heat on the back of my neck as I run across the yard to the large wooden shed. I force my eyes in front of me, I need to keep myself focused on the task at hand. I pull at the handle to the shed door, but it's not opening. I try pushing, nothing. I yank with all of my might, but it isn't opening.

I'm about to scream in frustration when I see the small keyhole. _Shit. _I groan loudly, why is everything being so difficult? Suddenly, I remember the set of rocks along the front porch that we use to stash spare keys in. I let go of the handle like it's red hot, and start running around the house. Several strands of hair have come loose and are flying in front of my face, effectively screwing with my line of sight and causing me to trip on a tree root. I curse loudly as the ground comes up from under me.

My tailbone screams out in pain as I slowly get to my feet. Angrily, I pull the elastic from my hair and shake out my hair. I pile everything back on top of my head and bring the elastic up to secure the hair in place when it snaps. "Are you kidding me?_ You've got to be kidding me!" _I scream, fuming.

I don't have time for silly things like this. I tuck my hair behind my ears and run into the front yard, where I see the group of rocks I need. I crouch down and pick up what I think is the right artificial rock. I shake it, and I'm pleased to hear a rattling sound coming from inside. I twist open the fake rock to find a shiny gold key inside. I pull it out and jump to my feet.

I'm about to start running back to the shed when something catches my eye. Someone's lying on the ground several dozen feet away. At first, I don't recognize the person until I see the familiar glint of the tip of a knife sticking out of the man's leather boot.

"Gale!" I scream, panicked. I run over to him and drop to my knees next to him. I begin shaking him violently, screaming his name over and over. A small line of blood runs across his temple, and he isn't moving or responding to me. I frantically search his neck for a pulse. Weak, but there.

"Gale!" I scream again. I can feel the tears streaming down my face as I continue to shake him. He still isn't moving. "Wake up!" I cry. Nothing. Suddenly, another loud boom sounds, this one louder than the last. This seems to do the trick, and his eyelids flit open.

"Madge?" he rasps.

"Gale! You scared the life out of me! Y-you weren't responding, I think the last bomb knocked you out or s-something," I cry, clinging to his shirt, still sobbing.

"I'm fine," he assures me, and I release his shirt from my iron grip and wipe my eyes. "Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily," he chuckles, sitting up with a cough. I open my mouth to respond, but I'm cut off by an even louder noise. Horrified at the close proximity, I turn my head, only to see my entire house engulfed in flames.

**A/N: Sorry if I missed a bomb or two in there, I was confusing myself, haha. So, what's going to happen to Madge and Gale? *Hint: canon= gone!***


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21._

_Gale POV_

"I'm fine," I assure Madge. Really, I am alright. I can't hear too well out of my right ear, but I'm not going to tell her that. What's the use in upsetting her? "Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily," I add with a laugh. I turn away from her for a split second to tuck my knife back into my boot, but I'm interrupted by a loud noise, followed by a bloodcurdling, ear splitting shriek.

It's then when I notice the intense heat on the back of my neck. Madge starts screaming hysterically, grabbing onto my hand and squeezing for dear life. Instinctively, I wrap my fingers around hers, trying to calm her down as well as trying to brace myself for whatever just happened. I turn my head to see the Undersee's house engulfed in a mass of angry, orange flames. I curse loudly, jumping to my feet, pulling her up from the ground with me.

She's pulling my hand now, trying to run towards the house and drag me with her. Is she stupid? She'll only get herself killed!

"Madge, no!" I cry. She doesn't listen to me, and tries to drag me towards the burning house.

"Madge, NO!" I repeat, trying to hold her back. She's screaming something incoherent and fighting against my grip on her hand. She tries pulling her hand from my grasp, but I tighten my grip on her, determined to keep her as far away from the house as possible.

"My parents are in there!" she wails. I feel absolutely helpless. There's no way I can get past the front door without being burned to a pile of ash.

"We can't go back for them, we can't! We need to get out," I declare, trying to pull her in the other direction. She doesn't budge. "Madge, come on!" I shout over the roar of the fire. She doesn't even look at me, she keeps her eyes glued on the house, sobbing.

"I can't leave them!" she cries.

"You have to!" I respond, beginning to grow impatient.

"No, I'm not going! I can-" she begins, turning to face me.

"They're gone, Madge. There's nothing either of us can do except save ourselves. They're gone!" I shout. Her face falls, and she doesn't say anything for a second. Suddenly, she stomps down on my foot with all her might. I cry out in surprise and pain, releasing her hand to grab my foot. She takes this opportunity to turn and run, straight for the house.

Thankfully, I react quickly enough to run after her. I grab her around the waist just as the first flame attaches itself to a lock of her hair. She screams, and I grab the hair in my had, curling my fingers into a fist around it, effectively extinguishing the flame. I'm holding her by the waist, her back flush against my chest, a few inches off the ground. She's writhing and wriggling in my arms like a small child.

"Madge, stop fighting! We need to get out!" I shout. Her arms are still reaching out towards the house, she's still caterwauling at the top of her lungs, completely ignoring me.

"Madge!" I cry.

"I'm not leaving them!" she cries.

"I'm not leaving you!" I shout, surprising myself. She stops, turning to look into my eyes. Her eyes are filled with tears.

"But…" she tries. I just shake my head.

"Nothing you can say right now is going to make me leave without you," I say.

"What if-"

"No. It's you and me right now, and I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Don't fight with me, just let me get you out of here before anything else happens," I say. She nods, and takes a step closer to me.

"I need to g-" she begins.

"Madge, please," I beg. She clearly isn't listening to me.

"But-" she tries. I close the distance between us and press my lips against hers. She's stunned at first, but then she responds, beginning to move her lips against mine. Her hands knot in the back of my shirt and she steps even closer to me. Before we get carried away, I pull away.

"Please, Madge. Trust me." I'm practically begging her. She nods reluctantly. I smile down at her reassuringly, and take her hand in mine. Just as we turn to head the other way, another bomb falls. This one is smaller and doesn't have as much power, but it's closer. It falls on top of the burning house in front of us, effectively blowing it to bits.

Anything I had just told Madge went in one ear and out the other, and she tries running for the house again, resuming her screaming. In one swift movement, I shift my weight off of my sore foot, lift her off the ground, and sling her over my shoulder. She instantly starts pounding on my back, screaming, screaming, _screaming. _

"Let me go! Hey! Gale! Put me down!" Madge is screaming in my ear, slapping and punching my back, kicking her feet wildly. I tighten my grip around her waist and turn away from the house. I try to run, but it's difficult with an aching foot and a defiant girl slung over my shoulders. Nevertheless, I manage to get us away from the remains of the house fairly quickly. By the time I round the last corner, which dumps us in the square, I'm out of breath and every part of my body is screaming out in pain. It's a miracle, but I manage to keep moving, I keep going until I reach the border of the Town and the Seam. As my foot crosses the threshold into the Seam, we hear another bomb drop, this one fairly close.

Madge quits pounding my back and hollering long enough for me to figure out that the bomb came from behind us- probably the square. I expect her to pick up with her shrieking again, but surprisingly, she still and keeps quiet. We're a few hundred feet into the Seam when I look up to the sky. I see not one, not two, but an entire fleet of hovercraft flying overhead.

Flames are touching the tops of trees only a hundred some feet away. Madge yelps in surprise of the close proximity. I set her on her feet in front of me.

"Listen, Madge. I realize what just happened, but right now is not the time to think about that. I need you to be calm long enough for me to get you out of here, okay? Stick with me and don't pull anything, we're halfway there," I instruct, grabbing her hand in mine. She nods and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. She reaches up on tiptoe to give my lips a quick kiss. We start running again, hand-in-hand. I'm a little scared of what she might try to do if I let go of her, she might pull something stupid like trying to go back for her parents.

We come to a four-way street crossing, and I instinctively turn right, as it is the closest way to get to the meadow. Just as we turn the corner, a bomb falls in our path, sending us flying back and onto the ground. The explosion leaves trees on fire and houses crumbling before our eyes. I turn to Madge to make sure she's alright, and I can see the tears in her eyes.

"Hey, you alright?" I ask gently. She nods slowly. I stand up on two very shaky legs and offer her my hand. We're both back on our feet and ready to keep going. I know it's risky, but I decide to keep to my original plan and continue going right. I know it'll be an extra half mile if we go in any other direction, which is five or ten more minutes that frankly, we don't have.

"You sure about this?" she chimes in. I nod and give her hand a squeeze. I lead her through the burning homes and the piles of crumbled down brick. I have to force myself to keep my eyes on the road in front of me, or else I'll remember that Vick's friend lived in this house, or that Prim sold cheese to the woman in that house.

The temperature seems to have skyrocketed, and I can feel beads of sweat rolling down my neck. I tighten my grip on Madge's hand and pick up our pace. Around this building, turn this corner, cut behind that slag heap. It's a familiar route that I could run in my sleep, but the houses crumbing and the flames around us set my memory askew and I have to think twice about the right way to go.

We're so damn close to the meadow when the next bomb hits. I hit the ground _hard_, bringing Madge down with me. When the ringing in my ears stops, I sit up with a cough, and offer Madge my hand, helping her sit up as well. She mumbles something incomprehensible, and I shrug. "No, Gale, look!" she hisses, pointing at something several feet away. I follow her finger and I see someone lying on the ground, motionless. I slowly get to my feet, gently pulling Madge up with me. I motion for her to come with me over to the person on the ground; she brushes herself off and follows me.

My heart starts pumping three times as fast when I realize that it's Rory.

"Ror!" I exclaim, nudging his shoulder with my foot. Thankfully, he rolls over with a groan and opens his eyes. He squints at me for a second, and then his eyes snap open.

"Prim!" he cries out, jumping to his feet. I give him a questioning look, but he just calls out the girl's name again.

"I went to their house, no one was there. They're probably in the meadow. _Where you should be as well_," I growl.

"No, she was with me! Mrs. Everdeen came running to the meadow because she said that before Katniss left, she told her mom to go to the meadow if anything ever happened that you would figure out what to do, and she was freaking out cause you weren't there and no one was telling anyone what to do, it was just complete madness. So she said that she woke up and she heard the bombs and she knew it was because of what Katniss did and she was scared because she wasn't prepared-"

"You're rambling," I point out curtly, hoping he cuts to the chase. He glares at me and crosses his arms.

"Mom stepped up and got her calmed down but I asked her where Prim was and her face just went white. I asked around and no one knew where Prim was or had even saw her. So I went out looking for her. I found her at their house in the Seam and she was feeding Buttercup," he explains.

"Rory, we're being bombed! We don't have time for the whole breakdown of this, out with it. We don't have much time left," I say, frustrated and anxious.

"I found her and I took her with me and we started running back to the meadow but she gave me trouble and tried to go back for the cat. And then she was crying so much that she wasn't moving fast enough, so I let her go back for the cat, and then she got it, and we were back to running when that bomb just fell and-"

"Rory!" I cry. Did he even listen to what I _just_ said?

"S-she isn't here," he says, his voice cracking. I curse under my breath and run my hand through my hair anxiously.

"Okay, we have to split up and find her. There's three of us, we can find her. We just can't leave without her," I say. He nods. I turn to Madge, and she smiles sadly tucking her hair behind her ear. The ends of one lock of hair are singed from the fire, but the rest still shines, looking as thick and gold as ever.

_Did I really just think that? Wow..._ I wonder, shaking my head.

"Prim?" Rory calls out, walking in the opposite direction from me and Madge.

"R-Rory?" comes the confused call. Rory spins around and starts running away from me, towards Prim's voice. She steps out of the shadow, a thin layer or black ash coating her blond hair, two black smudges across her left cheek. He runs up to her and she runs towards him, practically knocking him over with a hug. She doesn't let go of him, and I can see her arms tighten around his neck, and I can see her body shaking, as if she's crying. He manages to calm her down, and pulls away from her. They start talking, but I'm too far away to hear what they're saying.

"Madge, come on," I say over my shoulder. She doesn't say anything, so I assume she's still mad at me for making her leave Town. I take a few steps, but I don't hear her behind me. Curious, I turn around, only to see her sprinting in the other direction.

"Madge!" I shout after her. She doesn't turn around, but she slows her pace, as if she's hesitating. "Madge!" I repeat. She falters in her step, this time much more noticeable, but then starts sprinting again. I let out a long string of curse words before running after her.

I'm beginning to close the distance and catch her when the bomb falls directly between us.


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Only because this is how I chose to spend my Friday...and it was totally worth it :) Oh, happy Friday the 13th! I love all of you!**_

_ Chapter 22._

_Gale POV_

"Madge! Madge!" I shout over the roaring wall of fire. I take three steps back, preparing myself to run through it. Just as I'm about to run, someone grabs my arm from behind, stopping me in my tracks. I spin around to find that it's Rory.

"Ohhh, no you don't!" he says. I easily shrug off his grip.

"Rory, take Prim to the meadow. I'll be there soon," I say dismissively.

"Gale, I'm going to take a second and be the voice of reason here," he begins.

"Why's that?" I snap.

"Because at the moment, the one belonging to the Hawthorne family is about to hurl himself through a wall of fire, that's why," he quips. When I don't argue, he continues. "If you do that, you're gonna die," he says frankly, grabbing my arm once more. Again, I don't say anything.

"Gale, I swear that if you leave me to take care of Mom, Vick, and Posy on my own, I'll never forgive you. You can't go doing stupid things, you understand? The district is gone, you're all we have left. Don't abandon us."

I have to admit, I'm surprised- not so much as what Rory is saying, but that he's the one saying it. It makes perfect sense, but I don't want to believe it. I remove myself from his grip again and take a step away from him.

"Gale," he warns. I ignore him. "Gale!" he snaps as I start running. I feel the little punk chucking pebbles at my upper back as I run towards Madge. I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I charge through the flames. I can feel the heat intensify as the flames lick at my heels.

I drop to the ground and roll over twice, crushing and extinguishing any flames lingering on my clothes and body. I jump to my feet, noticing a searing pain on my left calf. I look down, afraid of what I'm going to find. A section of my pants has burned off, leaving a gaping hole of frayed black material behind. Where the gap in material is sits a bright red, angry looking splotch of skin. I wince, reaching down to touch the angry flesh.

I inhale sharply as the pain multiplies exponentially. I grit my teeth and shove all thoughts aside, determined on getting to Madge.

"Madge!" I shout. No answer. I scan the area, but I don't see anyone or anything but crumbling houses and toppled over trees. Random bunches of flames have attached themselves to different things scattered all around.

"Madge!" I call again. Nothing. I begin to panic, what if she… _No. _I can't let myself think like that.

"Madge! Madge!" I shout again. I'm met by more silence. Unless you count the roaring of flames and the whirring of hovercraft engines overhead. I hurdle a burning tree limb and start running as fast as my legs can take me. I call her name over and over again, but each time, there's no response. Bombs are dropping two, three times a minute, all across the district.

Loud explosions ring out, drilling into my eardrums and making it impossible to hear myself think. The heat is practically unbearable, sweat is running down my back a mile a minute. I can't even run straight anymore, I'm wobbling on my legs and I have to stop often to catch my breath.

I turn a corner and run straight into someone. "Madge!" I cry out hopefully, grabbing the person by the shoulders.

"No, it's me," comes the reply.

"Rory, what the hell? Get to me meadow, I'm not kidding!" I cry out furiously, releasing his arms and taking a step back.

"I told you not to pull this crap Gale, quit being the hero!" he screams in my face.

"Who do you think you are, Rory? You can't tell me what to do!" I shout, ignoring the intense pain that just shot down my leg and landed on my burn.

"Well what am I supposed to do, let you get yourself killed?" he fires back.

"No! Just…just…ugh!" I cry. I'm so angry at him I can't even put it into words.

"Come on," he pleads.

"No, she could still be out there!" I reply.

"Gale, she's gone!" he cries.

"No she isn't! Not yet, anyway!" I declare.

"Gale, she obviously didn't want to leave the district if she put up such a big fight about it," he reasons. I just shake my head apathetically. "You remember what you always told me?" he asks.

"What?" I challenge.

"You can't help a person…" he trails off and gestures to me to continue the sentence. Of course, I know the rest, but I'm not going to give him the glory. "…who doesn't want help," he finishes with a small smile.

"That's bullshit," I say curtly.

"Maybe it is. But regardless, she's gone, Gale. You need to stop being the hero, okay? Right now, you really need to focus. Prim and I need to get out of here. Mom is probably a nervous wreck right now, you know that?" he says calmly.

"Rory, you have to let me-" I begin. I can see the anger return to his face.

"Let you what? Abandon our family?" he screams.

"Don't try to pull that with me, Rory! I'm not like that, and you should know that better than anyone!" I cry.

"Not like what?" he shoots.

"You know!" I yell back.

"Mrs. Everdeen?" he shouts.

"What?" comes the reply. But it isn't me. I spin around to see Prim standing behind me. Her thin arms are wrapped protectively around her cat and there are tear stains on her face.

"Oh. Uh, Prim. I… uh, I didn't-" Rory stammers.

"You didn't what?" she snaps, surprising me. I had no idea there was any part of Prim that had any attitude whatsoever.

"I didn't mean to…" his voice trails off. He looks at me frantically, but I just shrug.

"You're on your own, kiddo," I say, only to be met with an icy glare.

"Prim, I…" Rory tries again. There's a long period of awkward silence. I take the time, which we _really _don't have, and consider what Rory said. I think about the conversation I had with Madge shortly beforehand, and I realize that he's basically telling me the same thing that I told her. Except, now that I'm on the other end of the conversation, I don't feel so high and mighty anymore.

Prim turns to me. "Just…get me out of here," she says, her voice cracking at the end. Thinking about what Rory told me, I realize he's right. So, I nod reluctantly. She presses her hand into mine and I motion for Rory to follow us.

We weave through burning homes, toppled over trees, and piles of ash. Occasionally, Prim will let out a squeal or Rory will yelp out in surprise. At one point, a massive oak tree falls directly in front of us. It's engulfed in flames and makes the loudest noise I've ever heard when it hits the ground. The tree hits the ground only a few feet away from us, and we're hit with a wave of heat. I jump back, startled, pulling the kids back with me. Prim screams, almost dropping the cat.

"Are you okay?" This from Rory. She considers it for a minute before nodding slowly. I lead them around the burning tree trunk as I try to get my heartbeat back to normal. From behind me, I hear Rory speak.

"I'm sorry, you know," he says. If we were in any other situation than the one we're in now, I would have loved to stop and watch to see how this is going to play out. It takes all the willpower I have not to turn around, though.

When Prim doesn't say anything in return, I speak up.

"Let's move guys, we're almost there," I say. In fact, if I squint, I think I see the entrance to the meadow. Thankfully, they pick up the pace and somehow seem to match my speed as we turn the last corner and arrive at the old gate.

When I say that cheers erupt from the crowd of people gathered on the other side of the gate, I'm completely serious. I open the latch and push open the gate, ushering Prim and Rory in front of me. My mother runs up to us.

"Thank heavens!" she cries, pulling Prim and Rory into a hug. She passes them along to Mrs. Everdeen, who has weaved her way out of the crowd. Then, she makes her way over to me.

"Hi, Ma," I say softly. I expect her to go off on me for not being back in time, for risking my life for someone else's, for burning off several layers of skin on my calf, for everything I did today. Instead, she wraps me in the biggest hug I've ever gotten.

"Thank you," she whispers in ear, patting the top of my head like she used to when I was younger and I would have nightmares. I think about all that she's been through in the last six years. It breaks my heart to think about it, but I've come to terms that it's just how life in Twelve works. Because no matter how bad we might have it, there are easily a score of people who have it even worse.

I see Bristol push his way through the crowd. "Gale!" he cries.

"Bristol! I cry, mocking his overzealous tone. He slaps me on the back and comes to stand next to me.

"Listen, the fence won't shut off. We threw a few explosives, but they didn't work," he explains. I remember hearing the blasts from the other side of the district, but I thought that the electricity would have shut off when I blew up the fuse box behind the Justice Building.

"I blew the fuse box," I tell him.

"No way! Really?" he cries. I nod. "Sweet, dude! We need to get the fence down, and we have to do it now. You were right about that whole trapping us thing. We only have a mile of open land left. You had better know what to do from here," he says.

I think about it for a minute before realizing that no, I do not have the slightest of clues as to where to go from here.

"I hadn't really thought about it too much," I admit.

"Well that's not good," Bristol says frankly.

"No kidding," I quip.

"How bad is it out there?" he asks, pointing to the heart of the district.

"Think of the worst way you'd imagine it. You got that image in your head?"

He nods.

"Good. Now multiply it by about thirteen," I reckon. He shudders, and I nod. "Yeah, that bad," I add.

"So I take it we can't hope it's over and let everyone go back to their homes?" he sighs.

"Hell no. We need to get as far away from here as we can, and it need to be as soon as possible," I reply.

"Alrighty then. Come with me, I'll take you to the fence," he says, and motions for me to follow him. As we weave through the mass of people, Bristol and I get pats on the back, cheers, and the occasional handshake. Judging from this, everyone is extremely grateful that they weren't still in the heart of the district when the internal bombing began. Lucky them.

When Bristol and I approach the fence, I try to listen for the telltale hum of electricity. The throng of people is much too loud, and I can't even hear myself think, let alone the fence. I'm not sure who it was, but someone was smart enough to gather several long sticks and arrange them in a line about six feet back from the fence. I'm not sure if it was just so no one accidentally shoved someone into it, or from when Bristol tried to blow it down, but regardless, it was a smart move.

"I need quiet," I tell Bristol, stepping over the makeshift threshold. He immediately starts yelling at everyone to quiet down, to keep still, just for a short while. It seems to pose a major problem, because everyone's so loud that they can't even hear Bristol telling them all to shut it.

"Screw it," I mutter, pulling the knife out of my boot with a grimace. I flip open the blade and take a step back. People must see what I'm about to do, because they all start screaming and practically trampling the people behind them as they try to back as far away from the fence as possible.

I turn my wrist so the blade is on its side, the two inch width of the blade facing the fence, the tip facing directly in front of me. I swing my arm out, and people continue to scream. I swing my arm the other direction, towards the fence, and this time releasing the knife. Instead of spiraling or twistinf through the air, it flies straight at the fence, exactly as I had hoped it would. The metal blade connects with the links of the fence just as I had imagined. _Perfect_. I'm relieved when there are no sparks, no buzzing noise, and no reaction other than people still screaming. I breathe an audible sigh of relief.

"It's off!" I declare, which is met by loud cheers and a slap on the back from Bristol. "Now, how do we get it down?" I ask.

"No clue," he admits with a shrug of his shoulders. Just as I'm about to reply, the loud whirring of a hovercraft engine overwhelms the small area we're crammed in. People start shrieking, many covering their ears.

The craft settles down on the other side of the fence. People are screaming at the top of their lungs, and I feel something latch onto my good leg. I look down to see Posy clinging to me.

"Posy, go back with mom!" I tell her, secretly terrified of what's going to come off the hovercraft. I know that whatever it is, I don't want her here to see it.

"She told me to come get you! Something's wrong, Gale," she whimpers. I detach her from my leg and crouch down so I'm eyelevel with her.

"Everything's fine, we're going to get out of here, I promise," I reassure her.

"No! Something's wrong with Prim, we don't know what to do," as soon as she finished her sentence, she begins to cry. I jump up, lifting her in my arms. Her tiny arms wrap around my neck, and she holds on for dear life as I begin to push through the crowd.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" I call out as I move through the mass of people. I break through the last group of terrified people and come to where my family is. They're all crowded around Primrose, who is lying on the ground on her back, tears running down her face. Rory and Mrs. Everdeen are sitting on the ground on either side of her. Prim's head rests on Rory's knee, and she's clutching onto his hand so hard that her knuckles are white. There's a horrified expression on his face, I can see that he's fighting back tears. Despite this, I want to smile at how smitten he is.

Mrs. E is brushing Prim's hair out of her face and trying to dry her tears with a white handkerchief. I can see a bluish tint to Primrose's face, which accelerates my heartbeat. She's gasping for air, and wheezing loudly when she does. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and my breathing quickens in fear. I set Posy down on the ground and drop to my knees next to Mrs. Everdeen.

"What's going on?" I inquire. Mrs. E looks up at me with wet eyes.

"She's not breathing right, Gale! I- I don't know why!" she cries. I have no explanation or even any suspicions of why this is happening.

"Prim, can you hear me?" I ask the young girl. She nods, erupting into a fit of heavy wheezing.

"Gale, do something!" Posy cries.

"I'm trying, Pose. Listen, Prim, we're working on getting everyone out, okay? It won't be long now. I need you to hang in there for just a little longer, okay?" I pat her knee reassuringly, even though I'm scared to no end.

"How much longer, Gale?" Rory asks nervously. I open my mouth to reply when I feel someone tap me on the back. I turn around to see that it's Bristol.

"You're not going to believe who just walked off that hovercraft."


	23. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23._

_Gale POV_

"You're not going to believe who just walked off that hovercraft." As soon as the words are out of Bristol's mouth, my heart begins to race, possibilities swimming around in my mind.

"Who?" I blurt out, leaping to my feet. Part of me is praying it's Madge. I have no explanation for how she could get on a hovercraft so quickly, and why she would, but my heart beats faster at the thought of it.

"Uh, come with me," Bristol says, nervously glancing at the flock of family members behind me. I nod, and smile apologetically at my mom, who is helping Vick hold on to Buttercup. He's having a devil of a time; the mangy thing won't sit still and quit hissing.

"Out with it, Bristol! Who is it?" I ask as soon as we're out of earshot.

"Some lady in a pantsuit? She introduced herself as, uh, President Coin," he explains, but clearly he doesn't know too much. My heartbeat returns to its normal pace when I realize that no, it isn't Madge.

"Who in the hell is President Coin?" I ask, suddenly angry.

"Well, here's the kicker…she introduced herself as the president of District Thirteen," Bristol scoffs.

"The what?" I ask incredulously, even though I understood him perfectly. I instantly think of the day I met Katniss in the woods last winter, the day she gave me the gloves and announced she was ready to run away. Maybe if I wasn't so uptight about Peeta joining us, we would have actually gone. Maybe we wouldn't be here now, we'd be far away from the bombs and the screaming people and the chaos.

"Yep," says Bristol, snapping me out of my trance. "My thoughts exactly," he continues.

"Did you say anything to her?" I ask.

"Yeah. I told her that the thirteenth district was destroyed seventy five years ago, but she just scoffed and asked to speak to someone else. I asked her why she was here and she said she wanted to see, and I quote, 'the girl on fire's cousin'," he makes air quotes around his words.

"Well, I guess that's me, isn't it?" I say with a scowl.

"Yep."

I let out an audible sigh. I really don't want to leave Prim and my family right now, but I know deep down that I need to. I run a hand through my hair and groan in frustration. I lead Bristol back over to where my family and the Everdeens are. They all look up at me hopefully, they clearly want answers.

"I'm sorry guys, but I'll be right back, I swear," I tell them. My mom steps forward.

"It's fine, I understand," she says, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

"It shouldn't be too long. Hang in there, Prim. We're going to get you help," I say with a sad smile.

"C'mon," Bristol nudges me in the bad leg, and I yelp in pain.

"Dammit, Bristol!" I cry, grabbing my calf.

"Gale! Language!" Mom scolds. I look up at her, but instead of anger on her face, I see concern.

"Sorry," I mumble.

"Let me see that leg," she instructs.

I shake my head. "I'm fine, really. I'll be back soon," I tell her with an apologetic look.

Before she can argue with me, Bristol grabs me by the shoulders and literally steers me in the other direction. We begin to push through the flock of people once again. I have to grit my teeth to keep from screaming out in pain. All of the blood is rushing to the burn on my calf, and as a result, my entire leg feels like it's on fire. We shove our way past all different types of people- the one thing they all have in common is visible fear. It's only now that I realize how few people are here.

Just a few minutes before, I was so overwhelmed at the mass of people that I didn't think to ask if the whole population was present. Clearly, they're not.

"Bristol, how many people are actually here?" I whisper-shout. He turns around to face me with a guilty look on his face.

"A little less than two thousand," he admits. I stop walking, and he does too. My hands ball into fists as I fight to keep calm.

"Where are the other six thousand?" I ask through gritted teeth. I know that there were bound to be some people who didn't get out in time, but six thousand?

"Not everyone would come out of their homes! Some older folk refused to leave, others didn't believe me that the Capitol would actually do such a thing. I told them to look outside their windows and see for themselves, but they laughed in my face and closed their doors. I didn't make it to the section of the Seam past the far slag heap, though. I'm sorry, but I couldn't. Rory insisted on following me around the Seam for the first few minutes, so we split up and started opening doors and stopping people on the streets. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have gotten to as many people as we did," he says.

"You let Rory go out with you? Are you serious? You've got to be kidding me!" I hiss.

"I told him no, but he insisted! I told him to stay with your family in the meadow and talk with the incoming refugees and try to calm them down, but he wouldn't! He said if I didn't let him come, he'd run off on his own. So I let him! But I sent him back after a bomb hit kind of close to us and he got all jumpy. He didn't protest after that, went straight back to the meadow," Bristol replies, defending himself.

"I'll deal with you later," I roll my eyes at Bristol and start moving again. When the crowd spits us out, we're face to face with the woman who I assume to be Coin, the fence separating us.

"Gale Hawthorne," I introduce myself, going to stick out my hand. Luckily, I realize the fence is still separating us, and manage to save myself before I look like an idiot.

"Alma Coin, nice to meet you," she responds.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" I ask, leaning forward and looping my fingers through the links of the fence.

"To save you all," Coin says with a small smile.

"Alright. But, the thing is, I've got about two thousand people here, and you have one hovercraft. How exactly did you plan on saving us?" I point out, gesturing to the huge hovercraft behind her. Coin's eyebrows shoot up her forehead.

"You're to address me with respect, Mr. Hawthorne," she demands.

"I'll do that when you can prove who you say you are," I fire back. I don't know what exactly it is about this woman, but she is pissing me off to no end. Maybe it's the fact that she isn't Madge, or maybe it's the fact that she gives off a bad vibe. I can sense the hunger, no, the _demand _for power and respect that Coin has.

"Fair enough," she says with a small shrug, shocking me.

"District Thirteen is gone. It has been for seventy five years. So who are you really?" I demand.

"President Alma Coin of District Thirteen," she says smugly.

"Well, I can see this is going absolutely no where. Thank you for your time, but we'll pass," I say, rolling my eyes.

"No, no. I'll explain- during the Dark Days, the Capitol told everyone they had obliterated us. However, in reality, we have been prepared for the rebellion, and had spent the last few years prior to the Dark Days rebellion building an underground city. So District Thirteen is very much real, but the Capitol told us to keep it quiet. They know we're here, but our scientists designed a special type of radioactive explosive, one that could easily destroy the Capitol if we wanted to. So we made a deal- they leave us alone, we leave them alone," she explains.

"Okay, makes sense…somewhat," I reply.

"Good," she remarks.

"So?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"Ooh, you're fiery, aren't you? I think we'll get along just fine," she remarks, crossing her arms across her chest.

"So?" I repeat, ignoring her previous comment.

"So we're here to get you out. And for your information, we have two more hovercraft on the way," she says.

"And how am I supposed to just let two thousand people get on a few hovercrafts? I don't know who you are. For all I know, you could be someone from the Capitol coming to kill us all," I counter.

"Trust me, if I wanted to kill you all, I would have done it by now- especially if it meant not having to sit through this awful excuse for a conversation," she laughs. "But seriously, I could have killed you all before the hovercraft even hit the ground," she says.

I think about what she's saying, and it does kind of make a lot of sense.

"The people would never go for it. They wouldn't trust you," I say.

"That's why I need you. They won't trust me unless you show them that you trust me. The people _will_ trust you- you have to be the one to get them to come with us," she says. I turn to Bristol to gauge his reaction to this whole thing. He looks at me and shrugs. I raise my eyebrows at him, and he nods.

"Why do I have the feeling you two just had a conversation without opening your mouths?" Coin asks.

"Because we did," Bristol says flatly.

"And?" this from Coin.

"We'll bite," I say. "On one condition."

"Humor me," comes Coin's response.

"There's a little girl who needs help. You have a medic on the hovercraft?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes, we do. Go and get her. But have your people step back another few feet, we're going to take down the fence," she says, gesturing to the crowd of people behind Bristol and me.

"How are you going to do that?" I ask. She just laughs, turns on her heel, and walks back towards her hovercraft.

"I don't know what it is, but something about that lady gives me the creeps," I say to Bristol when she's out of earshot. We turn and once again weave through the crowd of people, instructing people to step back. Thankfully, they listen.

"When you started talking back to her, I was about to soil my pants. I thought she was going to punch you straight in the face, I mean she was _pissed,_" Bristol says with a laugh.

"She doesn't scare me," I say, even though she totally does. We reach the small area void of other people where my family waits with the Everdeens. Prim doesn't look much better, her face is still a little blue, and there are thin red lines running up her hand. It reminds me of the blood poisoning Peeta had in the Games last year, but I don't mention it.

"Okay guys, there are three hovercraft here. They are going to take us out of here. I already checked, and there is a medic. Before they start loading people onto the hovercraft, they want Prim to see the medic, okay?" I explain. Mrs. Everdeen nods.

"So I need you guys to gather everything up right now and follow us," I add. Rory looks up at me questioningly.

"Prim can't walk," he declares from his spot on the ground. I crouch down to his level.

"Not a problem. Get her sitting, though," I say. He does as I say, and I grab Prim by the waist, effortlessly lifting her up as I get to my feet. I hoist Prim up, and she latches her arms around my neck out of fear of falling.

"Come on," I say, and everyone follows me. Bristol leads the way, pushing and shoving, making a clear path to the fence. I can feel Prim struggling to breathe; I can hear each strangled breath in my ear. I tighten my arms around her protectively and pick up speed. When we get there, two men dressed in black are standing on the other side, maybe six feet apart. The one man raises a small silver wand-like object.

"Stand back!" he commands. We do as we're told and he points the wand at the fence in front of him. He moves his arm up slowly, then across maybe four feet, then back down, and across again, making a rectangle. I don't know what it is exactly he's doing until part of the fence falls off, and lands right in front of us. Without saying anything, he passes the wand to the other man, who does the same thing.

Prim begins coughing relentlessly, and I look down at her in my arms. She looks so fragile, like she could break any second now.

"Hang in there, we're almost out," I tell her. I look up and see the two rectangles have fallen to the ground, leaving one continuous gap in the fence, maybe eight or nine feet wide, and about six feet tall. The men step to the side and Coin walks through.

She steps right up to me and extends her hand. I shake it firmly, and she nods towards Prim.

"You didn't tell me it was Katniss's sister!" she exclaims nervously.

"I shouldn't have had to. Does it matter if it's Katniss's sister or just a random girl? Because it shouldn't. You promised to help either way," I remind her.

"Follow me," she says. I follow her through the gap in the fence, Prim still in my arms. She leads me up the ramp of the first hovercraft, which surprises me. I expected to have to latch onto one of those ladders that freeze when you are brought into the craft. It's a pleasant surprise, though.

A crew of four medics meets us at the entrance to the hovercraft, and I place Prim on the rolling cot they have. I keep holding onto her hand, though. They all hover over her, pulling out various medical equipment and shouting things to one another, despite their close proximity to each other. I only hear a few words, but they terrify me. _Lack of oxygen. Lungs. Blood poisoning. Move Fast. _

"Mr. Hawthorne, I'm going to need to start transferring people to the crafts now, it's a wonder the Capitol hasn't bombed the meadow yet. Time is of the essence," Coin tells me. I understand what she's trying to tell me- I need to be the one to get to the people in the meadow. I lean down and give Prim a kiss on her hairline.

"I have to go, Prim. They're going to take good care of you, though," I tell her. She opens her mouth to reply, but she starts wheezing uncontrollably.

"I….want…." she rasps.

"Whatever you want, I'll get it for you. What is it?" I ask her.

"Rory," she whispers. My eyebrows shoot so far up my forehead I'm surprised they don't fly right off. I thought she was going to ask for her mother, not my little brother…it's cute, though. Poor thing can't stay mad at him forever.

"You got it," I tell her, turning and walking out of the craft and down the ramp.

"Rory!" I call out. He rushes forward.

"H-how is she?" he asks nervously.

"She's asking for you," I tell him with a small grin. His eyes light up and he nods. I motion for him to get onto the craft, and he runs up the ramp at full speed.

"Mrs. E, do you…" I begin to say, but I trail off at the sight of the woman. She's clutching onto my mother, sobbing her eyes out. There's no way she'd be able to go in there and see Prim without breaking down and scaring the daylights out of the poor child.

Luckily, she seems to know this too, and she just shakes her head. I nod, and move towards the center of the huge group of people.

"Excuse me!" I cry, as loudly as I possibly can. No one really hears me. I try it again, but no one quiets down. I reach behind me and grab the handgun out of my back waistband. Honestly, I'm shocked it stayed in place after everything that's gone on today.

I take the gun in my right hand and raise it high into the hair. I use my other hand to plug my left ear, and I switch the safety off with my thumb and pull the trigger three times consecutively. The gun fires directly into the air and people go crazy. Some drop to the ground, others run backwards, but somehow, they all quiet down.

"Listen up!" I shout, switching the safety back on and returning the gun to its spot at the small of my back.

"This is President Coin, of District Thirteen," I announce, pointing to the woman beside me. Some people gasp, others stay quiet, but a lot of people start yelling again.

"District Thirteen?"

"Bullshit!"

"She's a spy!"

"Let him talk!"

"Don't make me shoot again!" I yell at the crowd. Thankfully, they all settle down.

"President Coin is here to take us to District Thirteen. I know what many of you are thinking- that it was destroyed during the Dark Days. But the citizens moved underground, and there is a large civilization there today. District Twelve is gone, and we are moving to Thirteen to avoid the Capitol," I explain, speaking so loudly that my throat begins to ache.

"We will be loading people onto the three hovercraft beginning in a moment. If you have questions, I suggest you ask them now," Coin shouts.

"I understand that many of you may not feel comfortable doing this, but I can assure you it is safe, and President Coin is not working for the Capitol. However, if you do decide against this, which I don't advise, please move towards the back of the meadow," I announce.

People start talking amongst themselves. Within a minute or two, there are two very distinct groups of people. One group stands close to us, the other stands farther back. I step aside, and Coin's people dismount the hovercrafts. They begin ushering people onto the hovercraft, beginning with the third craft. Coin tells me that each craft can hold five hundred.

We fill two hovercrafts nearly to capacity and the remaining group of people- my family, Bristol, Coin, myself, and Mrs. Everdeen- are told to mount the final hovercraft, the one where Prim and Rory are. The crowd of people remaining is_ much_ larger than I had expected, comprised of maybe five or six hundred people. Coin goes over to address them, to try to convince them to join us.

When Coin finishes speaking, several dozen people break away from the group and trudge over to the hovercraft, Coin leading the way. Instead of putting them on the third craft, she splits them between the other two. I'm glad that we'll be able to have a little bit of privacy on our flight to thirteen.

We mount the craft in silence, and Coin leads us into a large room with plush chairs and sofas. The whole craft is enormous, easily twice the size of our home in the Seam. She tells us to make ourselves comfortable before disappearing to another part of the craft. We all take a seat, and Posy comes over and crawls into my lap. Just as we're all settling in, Vick speaks up.

"What's going to happen to the people who didn't come?" he asks to no one in specific. Mom places her arm around him comfortingly.

"Let's not think about that, sweetie," she says gently.

Posy lays down across my knees and closes her eyes. Poor thing's all tuckered out. I don't blame her. I could go for a nap, too. Not to mention some of Mrs. Everdeen's burn salve. I'm beginning to consider taking a nap when Rory bursts through the doorway.

He's sobbing, something I haven't seen in a long time. The last time I saw him cry like this was a few months ago when he and Posy were playing and he accidentally kicked her in the leg. Poor kid cried more than Posy did.

"G-G-Gale?" he asks, standing in the doorway, wringing his hands. All eyes are on him. Something has to be wrong, he's blubbering so hard he can't even speak.

"Yes?" I say, trying to steady my heartbeat.

"The…the…the doctor….he….he….he…." he stammers through his tears. Just as he opens his mouth to say something, a medic walks in and stands next to him.

"You brought in the little girl, right?" the medic asks me. I nod slowly, scooting Posy out of my lap and standing up.

"I'm going to need you to come with me."


	24. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24._

_Gale POV_

I follow the medic down a short hallway in silence. Rory stayed in the room with the rest of our party, so it's just me and the medic. He's a tall man, maybe a little older than my mom. He leads me into a white walled room. In the center of the far wall, there's a weird looking bed with tons of wires coming out of it and leading to machines on either side. There are two black chairs on either side of the bed, and a table on the right side.

Prim is laying in the bed, a sheet pulled up to her shoulders and a needle in the crook of her elbow. Her eyes are closed, which terrifies me. It's only when I see the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest that I relax. The medic, whose name I still do not know, walks up to the table and picks up a thin piece of square glass. It's a perfect square, maybe eight or nine inches a side. Looking over his shoulder, I can see words on the glass, almost like a television screen. However, he's using his finger to move up and down what appears to be a long list of something. He turns to face me.

"Miss Everdeen was suffering from acute blood poisoning as well as bronchial spasms," he declares. _Blood poisoning. _

"So what does that mean?" I ask.

"It means that at some point, she sustained an injury to her left hand. The wound was deep, and it wasn't getting enough oxygen. Part of the reason it wasn't getting enough oxygen was the surroundings at the time of the injury. Thick smoke in the air mixed with physical exertion caused her bronchial tubes to go into spasm," he explains.

"I understand the first part, but her bronchial what?" I ask, thoroughly confused by his big words.

"Basically, she couldn't breathe. We have administered medicine to help with that intravenously, though."

"Intra what?" I ask, a little embarrassed I don't understand him.

"The needle in her arm is attached to that bag up there," he says, pointing to a small clear bag on a metal pole next to the bed. "The medicine goes from the bag to the needle to her bloodstream, so she can heal faster," he simplifies. It makes sense enough.

"But she's going to be okay?" I ask nervously.

"She'll be absolutely fine by the time we land in Thirteen. I think we're going to take off in several minutes, and then with the flight and landing, it shouldn't be more than a half hour or forty minutes. She'll be waking up any minute now, we didn't give her too much morphine," the medic tells me.

"Thank you," I say honestly, and he walks out. I breathe a little easier now, knowing that Prim is alright and in good hands. I had been doing pretty well in pushing thoughts of Katniss far from my mind, but as I settle into one of the bedside chairs, she's all I can think about. My thoughts are interrupted by the door opening quietly. I turn my head to see Rory.

"Come here, Rory," I say, patting the seat next to me. He looks scared, but he trudges across the floor and settles into the chair next to me.

"We're on our way to safety. You kind of missed that talk earlier, but they're taking us to Thirteen," I explain. I expect an onslaught of questions, but he just shrugs.

"Mom told me," he says, hanging his head.

"Prim's okay, there's nothing else to worry about," I tell him, wondering if that could be the cause of his current mood. He looks up at Prim, lying motionless in the high tech bed, and I see the first tear roll down his cheek. Almost instantly, he's sobbing again.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I say. I'm not prepared for the waterworks. He keeps crying, awful strangled noises coming from his throat. I don't really know what to do, usually my mom handles tears. I reach over and pat him on the knee reassuringly.

We sit there, not speaking, until he collects himself. He wipes his eyes on his sleeve and places his head in hands.

"It was my fault," he mumbles so quietly that I need to strain to hear him.

"No it wasn't, the doctor said it was the air and the exertion," I tell him.

"I was in here when they were treating her, they kept talking about blood poisoning and how it started on her left hand," he replies.

"Yeah, so?" I ask.

"It started with the injury on her left hand," he repeats.

"I know that," I tell him, not sure if we're actually going anywhere with the conversation.

"Well the injury on her left hand was my fault," he admits sheepishly.

"How?" I wonder aloud.

"W-well, we were, uh, we were running out of her house and my shoelace was undone and I tripped on it. She tried to reach out and stop me from falling, but she misjudged the distance and when she brought her hand out, it struck the corner of the kitchen table. It left this really nasty gash, and I could tell she was trying to play it off like it was just a little scrape, but it was bleeding a lot and I knew it had to hurt pretty bad," he stops to clear his throat. I can hear how upset he is, and his voice keeps cracking and he is getting choked up.

"Okay," I say, urging him to continue with the story.

"I kind of panicked a little; I got really scared that she was going to bleed out or something like that. So I searched the house and found some bandages. I bandaged up her hand, but then I made the mistake of letting her go back to get the cat. She was crying so hard because of her hand and not having the cat that I couldn't get her to move fast at all. So I went back with her so she could get the stupid thing, and we probably lost like ten minutes in that alone. I just can't shake the feeling that this is my entire fault. I should have just put my foot down and brought her to the meadow straight away, that way her mom could have taken care of her. When we finally got to the meadow with you, she didn't mention her hand to anyone, and everyone was too wrapped up in the bombing and the other kids that no one saw the bandage. She started shaking, saying she couldn't breathe, and, uh…and, uh…" his voice trails off as he fights back a sob.

"It's okay," I say softly. I've never been the one of the family to comfort people, and this makes me a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, she was crying and she couldn't breathe and I just felt so helpless, and I thought she was going to die, I honestly did. I was so angry with you for egging me on earlier to say that thing about her mom, and I was angry with myself for saying it, I was angry with her for being angry with me. But when I saw her like that, I thought to myself that she was going to die angry with me. I started panicking. I…I…I didn't want her to die, Gale!" he cries.

"She's fine, though," I point out with a small frown.

"But she wasn't earlier! I sat with her in the meadow when Posy went to get you, and I apologized to her and I held her hand and she lied down in my lap and she was shaking still, and she wasn't breathing right, and Mrs. Everdeen was crying so hard, harder than Prim was. She was scaring Prim, I could tell. And then, she didn't even try to help her, she just sat next to her and sobbed!" he rambles on.

I nod, raising my legs and placing my feet at the foot of Prim's bed.

"But then you got there, and then you went away again, and she wasn't getting any better. I gave her some water from the bag Mom had packed for us, but that didn't help! When you came back the last time, I thought she was about to die. She was turning blue, and she kept closing her eyes, but then she would open them again, and I was so scared," he chokes out. "I just kept thinking that she was going to die upset with me. And I didn't know until I got on the hovercraft and they told me what happened, and then I was thinking about how it was my fault, all of it. I can't let the feeling go that this wouldn't have happened if not for me," he admits.

Fighting back the urge to laugh in his face at how cheesy he's being, I take a deep breath.

"Shit happens," I say frankly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the wise words of Gale Hawthorne," Rory quips.

"Let me finish! What I was going to say is that life is crap half the time and scary things like this happen. What I've learned is that things happen for a reason, no matter how sucky they are," I tell him.

"What's the reason for this?" he asks, pointing at Prim, who is still sleeping soundly.

"I'm not too sure…maybe it was so you could admit to your older that you're a little, mushy, emotional, crazy in love-" I laugh, ruffling his hair.

"Okay, okay. Enough of that. But I'm not the only one crazy in love here," he says with a giggle.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, genuinely curious as to what he means.

"You know what it means!" he laughs. But, I don't. I look at him quizzically and ask for an explanation.

"You ran through a burning district to try to find Madge, and you're going to try to deny being head over heels for her?" he replies.

"Well, it's just that…I mean…I…"

"Love her?" he asks, raising one eyebrow. For a second, I fumble for words, but then I decide it's not worth the effort.

"Yeah."

Just as Rory starts to laugh, the door opens. We turn around to see Mrs. Everdeen standing in the doorway. I drop my legs from Prim's bed and sit up in my chair properly.

"Can I have a minute?" she sniffles. Rory and I nod, quickly excusing ourselves. Just as we're settling into a sofa in the room with the rest of our family (and Bristol), Coin walks into the room.

"Gale. With me," she says, motioning for me to come over with her. I let out an audible sigh and get to my feet, following her out of the room. She leads me into a small room with several television-like electronics, a large black chair, a smaller black chair, and a mahogany desk with a single uniform stack of papers sitting square in the middle.

She sits in the big black char, perching on the very edge of it. It can't be very comfortable, but I don't say anything. She motions for me to take a seat in the smaller black chair on the other side of what I presume to be her desk.

"We'll be taking off in a minute or two. So that means that if the wind doesn't pick up, we should be in Thirteen in about a half hour. We have attendants on each hovercraft taking names and registering people as citizens of District Thirteen. When we land, we'll organize room and board. There are a little under a thousand of you, and we just added on a new wing of housing, so there should be plenty of room," she explains.

"Sounds good," I tell her, curious as to what she really wants from me. There's no reason she couldn't say that in front of everyone else.

"Now, for what I really have to tell you," she says. I nod, trying to keep myself from appearing too eager.

"Did you watch the Quarter Quell the night the arena…how do I say this? Uh, blew up?" Coin asks me.

"Yes, I did. Didn't understand any of it, but I saw it," I tell her.

"Let me break it down for you," she says. "The arena can't go on forever, there's a force field surrounding it. This force field is invisible to the naked eye except for one part- the part where it joins together. This is the weak spot, and Katniss took advantage of that. She and her allies had it somewhat planned, gathering that from the way it looked, and also from what we heard from our people on the inside," she says.

_I should have known Katniss was going to pull some crap like that_, I think to myself.

"So the arena kind of blew up…well, actually, basically the force field was eliminated, making the whole arena exposed. This made it possible for our hovercraft to get in there and snatch up tributes," she explains.

"What do you mean?" I ask. I'm totally lost.

"Let me backtrack a little bit. There have been rebellions popping up all over Panem in the last few months. We in Thirteen have been keeping track of these revolts, and we've come to the realization that enough districts have rebelled and it is time to initiate our plans for a full fledged rebellion against the Capitol," she says. My hearts starts beating faster in anticipation. An actual rebellion against the Capitol? I've been waiting for this for years.

Coin continues, "I have spent countless hours running through different scenarios, and I realized that the only way this was going to work is if we had two things."

"What two things?" I ask.

"Well, the first thing was a massive stockpile of weapons, explosives, ammo and soldiers, which wasn't too hard to assemble," she tells me.

"And the second?" I ask.

"Katniss."

"Well then this is all a moot point, isn't it?" I say bitterly, angry that she got my hopes up.

"Why would you think that?" she asks.

"Because you don't have Katniss!" I shout.

"Oh, don't we?" she smiles slyly.

"What are you saying?" I'm slowly beginning to piece this together.

"We got Katniss out of the Arena."

For a minute I'm too stunned to speak. I'm glad I was sitting down for that. A thousand thoughts are running through my head, and I have to grab onto the arm of the chair to steady myself.

"Well that's a surprise," I finally manage to get out. Coin laughs dryly before opening the drawer to her desk. She pulls out a piece fo paper and hands it to me.

"What's this?" I ask, scanning the paper.

"Your schedule. When we get to Thirteen it will be printed on your forearm each morning. But as for now, you'll use a paper copy. Right now, I want you to go out there and tell your family what I just told you, because frankly I'm sick of explaining it over and over. You can give them the sugar-coated version if you want. As you'll see on your schedule, when we land, you'll have an hour to get settled before you are to report to command. I'd suggest using the time to sleep, it's going to be a long night," she says.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"Well, right now, Katniss is heavily sedated because she had several surgeries and procedures last night and early this morning. We think it would be best if when Katniss wakes up, she sees a familiar face. You up for that?" she asks me. I nod. "Good, then I'll see you shortly. You're dismissed," she says, slamming her desk drawer closed.

"Thank you," I mumble, rising from the chair and opening the door to the hallway.

"Oh, and Gale?" she calls after me. I turn around to look at her. "You're going to be the one to tell her about Twelve," she says with a laugh I can only describe as sadistic.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: I realize I kinda left you guys hanging with the whole Madge thing, so I'm sorry! Hopefully this chapter should clear it all up! **_

_Chapter 25._

_Gale POV_

As I walk out of Coin's little office and back down the hallway, the events of the day catch up to me. _District Twelve is gone. My home is gone._ _Madge is gone. Madge. _My neck starts to sweat and my legs feet like cinder blocks. I try to walk, but it feels like I'm going nowhere. I see a door immediately on my left and drag my legs across the floor. I pull open the door and slam it with a bang behind me. I drop to the floor and pull my knees up against my chest.

I look around and see that the room is filled with various cleaning supplies. A storage unit on the left hand wall holds bottles of cleaners and solutions. Resting against the wall on my right is a broom, one with a big brown base and a smooth wooden pole. I pull it down into my lap and pull the knife out of my boot. Switching open the blade, I begin to whittle the wood down to the fine grains.

I get so lost in the scrape of the metal blade against the sleek wooden pole that for a minute, I lose ties to the real world. I don't even notice that I'm shaking until I can't hold the broom handle still anymore. My thumb slips and I nick myself with the tip of my knife. Letting out a loud string of curse words, I slam the carved up broom against the wall and chuck my knife at the closed wooden door. It flies straight through the air, landing perfectly in the grain of the door. It sticks straight out of the door, buried to the hilt.

I don't even think about how it happened, I just shrug it off and leave the knife in the door. A small rolling cart sits next to me and I shove it against the far wall, resulting in a loud bang followed by the crash of different bottles and cans hitting the floor. Hot tears begin to cloud my vision, but I blink them back, determined not to cry. My knees are still pulled up to my chest, and I lean back against the wall feeling defeated.

I promised her I would take care of her, I told her I would get her out, but I didn't. I told her I loved her, I _do_ love her, why didn't I save her? Why couldn't I save her? At this point, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I wipe them away hastily and blink my eyes furiously. I hate the Capitol, I hate the Games, I hate Coin,and_ I hate myself._

I cough loudly in an effort to clear my throat of the large lump that has lodged itself in my airway. Wiping my eyes one last time, I collect myself and get to my feet. I take a swipe at the nearest shelf, knocking a (thankfully, sealed) bottle of clear blue solution to the floor with a crash. The room is so tiny, everything has its place and there's not room for it to be disorderly. I watch as the bottle rolls a foot or two across the crowded floor and comes to a stop next to a medium sized black crate full of dirty rags. Seeing the crate reminds me of the large stack that Greasy Sae stashed behind the Hob. An intense burst of fear runs over me, but it quickly dissipates when I remember seeing Sae board the first second hovercraft with her granddaughter.

The little girl used to be the one to stack the crates, if I remember correctly. Sae would trade with other sellers in the Hob for them and her little granddaughter would pile them up behind the Hob. _Behind the Hob. _I hurriedly step over and around the miniature obstacle course that is the room and yank my knife from the door with a grunt. I feel a little bad about making such a mess in here, but not enough to clean it up. Flipping the blade down, I slip the knife in my boot and throw open the door.

I reach Coin's tiny office in three long strides. Without bothering to knock, I pull open her door. "Hawthorne? What is it?" she snaps, looking a little surprised.

"When are we taking off?" I ask hurriedly.

"Momentarily, why do you ask?" she says.

"We need to fly over the District, and we need to go slowly," I tell her.

"Why would we do that? The Capitol hovercraft could easily see us and-" she begins to argue, but I cut her off.

"Can't we go invisible?" I ask. I remember from watching the Games all of my life that the hovercraft isn't actually visible until the claw comes down.

"Well, theoretically, we could. But why would we agree to that?" she asks.

"It's really important," I say persuasively, leaning against the door frame and crossing my arms.

"Why?" she presses.

"Because I said so!" I snap at her. She purses her lips and crosses her arms across her chest, clearly miffed.

"Hawthorne, I'm counting to three. You're going to give me both an apology and a proper explanation or I'll have you detained until we reach Thirteen, you understand?" she looks dead serious. I don't make a single move until she begins to count.

"One." There's a long pause. Why should i have to explain myself to her?

"Two." Another long pause. I'm doing her a favor in agreeing to tell Katniss about Twelve.

"Two and a half," she warns. She owes me, not the other way around.

"Okay, fine!" I give in, scared I'm about to cross a line, be a total smart-ass, and lose my chance of getting back into Twelve. She raises her eyebrows, clearly wanting her explanation. "I think there might be some, er, survivors in Twelve who we need to save," I tell her.

"They don't believe this is an honest operation, they had the choice to come and they didn't. We aren't going to waste time and risk lives for that," she argues.

"No, it's not them. They'll be a ways into the woods by now, if they even think to try to get out of the district on their own," I say.

"Then who?"

"Uh, a good friend of mine." I choose my words carefully.

"You want me to risk the safety of everyone on this craft for a friend of yours who may or may not be alive?" she asks, uncrossing her arms and drumming her fingers on her desk.

"Yes ma'am," I nod.

"Must be some friend," she raises her eyebrows.

"Yes ma'am," I repeat, feeling the blush creep onto my cheeks.

"Name?" she asks. She still hasn't agreed to do it, which worries me a little bit. Regardless, I lift my head and respond.

"Madge Undersee."

"Any relation to Reynold Undersee?" her eyebrows shoot up her head in curiosity.

"His daughter," I say.

"Why didn't you tell me that from the beginning?" she asks.

"Again, I shouldn't have had to," I respond with a knowing glance. For a split second, her confident grin falters, but she recovers quickly, clearing her throat and rising from her chair.

"Did her parents survive?" she asks. I shake my head.

"Her house was bombed, but she wasn't inside when it happened. She may still be alive," I say, trying to keep the details to a minimum.

"Well, I'll go speak with the pilot and see what we can do," she says, brushing past me. I hear her high heels click-clacking down the hallway. The clicking and clacking stops and a door opens and closes. I stand in the hallway, waiting for Coin to emerge from wherever it is she went off to. She returns shortly, looking smug.

"Go down the hallway and make a right, then a left. Open the door immediately on your right and wait for instructions from the pilot. His name is Nick. Hurry," she commands. I nod.

"Thanks," I say, following her directions and walking down the hallway. I make a right, then a left, and look for the door. It really is immediately on my right; I have to turn my body ninety degrees to see it.

What's on the other side of the door is overwhelming. Taking a single step into the room, I'm surrounded by tons of high-tech equipment ranging from large television screens to smaller hand held electronics scattered across long tables. At one end of the massive room is a large desk-like control panel with a huge window in front of it. I can see long tree trunks stretching up to the sky and far off in the distance, red and orange flames licking their way closer to us.

"You're Gale?" comes the voice. I snap to attention and see a man of about forty standing next to me, his arm outstretched. I turn to face him, shaking his hand firmly.

"That's me."

"I'm Nick, the captain of this fine flying machine!" he greets me cheerfully.

"Gale Hawthorne, nice to meet ya," I reply.

"So President Coin tells me we're switching to invisible and doing a fly-over?" he asks, motioning for me to follow him.

"That's the plan, yes," I confirm as we maneuver our way past all of the equipment.

"Alright, sounds easy enough. You have to pardon me for the appearance of the command center, we're usually much more orderly around here, but it's just me today, and I haven't really finished the inventory quite yet," he says apologetically, leading me to the large control panel by the window. I wave my hand dismissively, I don't mind the mess. He motions for me to sit in one of the large white chairs, so I do. He sits in the other and hands me a weird looking thing that looks like earmuffs.

"Earpiece. There's a built in microphone at the bottom so we can communicate once we're in the air and it gets loud," he explains. I nod and watch him put his own on before placing mine on my own head and adjusting the small microphone.

"Ready for takeoff?" he asks, flashing a toothy grin. I give him a half hearted thumbs up, and he begins spinning dials and pushing buttons. He begins to hum, and I tune him out as we rise into the air. Beneath us, tree tops blow sideways from the intense wind we've just created and a thick cloud of dirt kicks up.

I strain to see the District below us. I see a small huddle of people still in the meadow. I shake my head, and Nick nods knowingly, but doesn't stop for them. I instruct him to go left so that we can fly over the Seam and go to the edge of the District. He does as I tell him, and we reach the end of the District without seeing anyone beneath us. I tell him to turn so we can go back over the Seam and then continue over Town.

My stomach flies to my eyeballs as we suddenly drop, straight down, several hundred feet. "Sorry," comes the crackling voice through my earpiece. "It should be easier to see from a little closer down," Nick tells me. I grit my teeth and nod, praying my internal organs return to their proper places.

We fly over rows of Seam houses, the occasional slag heap, and several fallen trees. Most of the flames have extinguished themselves by now, but there's still random bunches of fire here and there. The Hob "mysteriously" burned down months ago, but its obvious where it once stood. Charred remains of the stone frame have tumbled to the ground and litter the dirt. A giant gaping hole in an otherwise crowded area of the district is a dead giveaway to the spot where the black market once stood.

I instruct Nick to slow the craft down as we approach the remains of the Hob. I don't even try to hide that I'm crossing my fingers. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath as the hovercraft slows to practically a crawl. "Gale, look!" Nick's voice snaps my eyes open. I squint out the window and see a tiny flash of yellow beneath us. My heart begins beating twice as fast and I uncross my fingers to run a hand through my hair.

"Go down," I instruct without explaining myself. He does as he's told, pulling the large lever between us and hitting several buttons. We begin our descent for a few seconds before abruptly stopping.

"I can drop the ladder here and you can take your chances going into the District while we wait here in invisible mode, but once we're closer than fifty feet to the ground, invisibility shuts off automatically," Nick says. "So what will happen is we'll be visible for the twenty seconds it takes for the ladder to descend, with you on it obviously, another ten seconds for the ladder to come back up into the craft, and then we'll fly up a few hundred feet so that we can't get hit with anything. Oh, and we'll return to invisible. When you're ready to come back up, just wave at the sky and I'll bring 'er down to get you and hopefully your friend. But you're gonna need to haul, yeah? We'll be visible for another thirty or forty seconds, and then we'll get going to Thirteen. Our radar shows there is nothing in the sky for a five-mile radius, so we think the bombing's over. However, if the Capitol was smart enough to go into invisibility mode, it wouldn't show up on our radar. Regardless, you have to move as soon as you get down there so we can get to Thirteen as soon as possible. The other crafts are already en route as we speak," he adds.

My head is spinning already, and with the information Nick just gave me, it's too much to process. I picked up a few key words, enough to know that I have to go into Twelve, pray not only that I can find Madge, but that there are no more bombs coming. Then I have to get back on the craft as soon as humanly possible. Without really considering what he just explained, I nod and remove my earpiece.

"You remember how to get to the little vestibule where you guys entered the craft?" he asks.

"Down the hallway, past the little sitting area, and on the right?" I ask.

"Yep. When you get there, press the green button on the left hand side of the door. The door will slide to the right, revealing the ladder. Hold on tight and hit the button a second time. The force field will activate and I'll lower the ladder to the ground. It will chime when the force field shuts off and it's safe to step off the ladder. When you're ready to come back, I'll have someone send the ladder down for you. Once the ladder chimes, step on and hold on. Signal us somehow and the force field will switch on and up you go," he explains. This time, I listen to what he's saying.

"Sounds easy enough," I say, rising from my seat. Nick wishes me luck as I maneuver my way out of the room and down the hallway. As I pass the sitting room where my family is waiting, my mother calls my name, obviously looking for an explanation.

"I'm sorry!" I call over my shoulder, turning the corner. Time is precious right now. I'm about to press the green button when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and find myself face to face with my mom.

"Mom, I have to go down there. I promised Madge and I just left her and-" I begin.

"No, I get it. Just, be safe. I love you so much, Gale, you know that right?" she says, her voice catching. I nod, feeling awful for worrying her so much. She pats me on the shoulder.

"I'll be back soon, Ma, I promise," I tell her reassuringly, reaching out for the green button. The door slides to the right, just as Nick said it would. I step onto the ladder, which is anchored to a steel wall. I hold the top rung with my right hand and extend my left arm for the green button. Just as I begin to push down on it, I hear my mom.

"Be safe!" she calls out as the floor drops from beneath me, the air turns cold, and I'm lowered towards the ground. After the ladder chimes, I let go, dropping several inches to the ground. I land on my feet with a thud, only several feet from where the Hob once stood. Looking up at the hovercraft, I flash a thumbs up, hoping Nick sees it. He must, because the ladder instantly retracts into the belly of the large plane and within seconds, the craft disappears entirely.

I look around to see where Nick dropped me. I'm about two blocks from the empty plot of land that used to be the Hob. I see nothing around me except remains of trees, small holes in the earth, and the occasional dead animal. The tiny bit of excitement in my gut is what fuels to me to take off at a run. I start sprinting towards the Hob, jumping over piles of ash and kicking stones and charred bricks out of my way. I run around the street corner first. There's no sign of life on the street, and I sigh audibly. I run a half block before stopping to peek into an alleyway, but it's empty. I run the rest of the distance to the Hob without another thought.

I step into the clearing where the Hob used to stand and try to catch my breath. The events of the day have taken a toll on me physically almost as much as they did emotionally. I'm absolutely winded and my legs are crying out in pain. I suck in a big gulp of air and pick up my pace again. I jump over a large pile of stone and approach the edge of the plot, where Madge and I used to meet up when we were keeping our relationship a secret.

All of a sudden, a huge burst of wind comes out of nowhere, practically knocking me over. A large cloud of dust kicks up, obscuring my view. I'm going to guess that Nick is directly overhead, and the motor to the craft is what's causing the intense wind. Almost as soon as it appeared, the wind ceases, and the dust cloud clears. Once I can see again, I rub my eyes and take a few steps forward.

"Gale?" comes the confused, yet familiar voice. I spin around, frantically trying to find its owner. _Please be Madge. Please be Madge. Please, please, please be Madge._

"Madge?" I call out hopefully.

"Gale!" the voice repeats, this time an excited cry. I still can't tell where it's coming from, but I know it's her. I surprise myself by throwing my head back and laughing, like a child on the last day of school. She comes running out of the shadows, and I don't hesitate to take several steps toward her and open my arms. Her arms wrap around me so tightly I'm scared she's going to break a rib. I can't understand what she's saying, but I can feel her warm tears soaking through my shirt and I can feel her shaking beneath me.

After a minute of just holding her against me, I pull away from her. "Madge, we need to go," I tell her, half expecting another fight. She's quiet for a minute before slowly nodding, grabbing my hand in hers.

"How did you know where to find me?" she practically whispers.

"Just a hunch," I reply with a small grin.

"Thanks," is all she says.

"Is there anyone else in the district you know of?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"I- I ran away from you earlier, and then I went back to my house, but...but..." her voice trails off.

"But what?" I urge her on, even though I'm pretty sure I know the answer.

"Never mind. No, there's no one else that I know of," she tell me. I nod and inhale deeply. I raise my hand into the air and wave up to the sky. I must look absolutely ridiculous until the hovercraft suddenly comes into view, a lot close than I had expected. The ladder drops down and I help Madge onto the lowest rung. I step on next her and extend a thumbs up towards the hovercraft, hoping that does the trick in terms of the signal that Nick needs. It does, and the air turns cold again as the force field locks us in place and we start to be raised up.

We're only about ten feet up when it happens. The ladder chimes unexpectedly, and for some odd reason I can't hold on anymore. I curse loudly as I tumble to the ground, landing on my arm with a cry. The last thing I hear before I blackout is Madge screaming my name from the ladder.


	26. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26._

_Gale POV_

I know the feeling of slipping in and out of consciousness all to well. The first time my eyes flutter open, I see nothing but the sky. Nothing but the completely perfect blue sky, not a single cloud. Somewhere in the distance, I hear a bird chirp. I try to look around, but my eyes begin to close again.

The second time my eyes flit open, I'm overcome by an intense pain coming from my side. Somewhere in my mind, I know all of my weight is on my arm, causing the searing pain, but trying to shift and roll off of my arm causes my eyes to close again.

When my eyes open the third time, I'm confused. I'm sitting up in a weird bed, much like the one I remember Prim being in on the hovercraft. Except, looking to my right, I see another bed, although it is empty. A thin curtain is drawn half way between the two beds. There's a large machine next to me making a beeping noise. Over and over, the machine beeps. The noise is coming at a steady pace, but when I notice the needle sticking out of my arm, which is in a sling, the beeps become closer together. I extend my good arm and swat at the machine, effectively toppling it over with a crash. As soon as it hits the floor, the annoying noise comes to a stop, and I sigh audibly.

It's only then that I notice the woman standing at the end of my bed. I look up to make eye contact to find that it's President Coin.

"You finished there?" she asks, nodding to the now lifeless machine. I nod proudly. "Good, because we need to talk," she adds.

"So my first few conscious minutes in Thirteen and I'm already in high demand? Great," I say smugly.

"You remember what happened?" she half asks, half declares.

"Somewhat. I remember Twelve being bombed, getting on the hovercraft, getting off the hovercraft, getting back on the hovercraft, and hitting the ground. I passed out a few times, but after that everything's hazy," I tell her.

"Hazy how?" she asks, crossing her arms across her chest and clearing her throat.

"Like, I don't know where I am or what happened to me, or why you didn't leave me in Twelve to die," I state.

"Well, you're in District Thirteen. You broke your arm and bruised a lung, but you'll be fine. In fact, the doctor said you're clear to go as soon as you woke up," she says.

"Okay, that's good," I say with a shrug.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Is my family okay?" I ask, suddenly overwhelmed with a sick feeling coming from my gut.

"They're fine," she says, and I feel relieved.

"Madge?" I ask hopefully.

"She'll be fine," Coin says.

"That's implying she isn't fine right now. What happened?" I ask worriedly.

"I'll let the doctor explain all of that. He's on his way over now. There will be a meeting in headquarters tomorrow, I expect you to be there. There's one in a half hour too, you'll receive your schedule on your arm when you're released, but for now, refer to the paper copy I issued on the craft. Good day," she says, turning her back on me and click-clacking away before I even register everything she just said. I don't have time to consider it, because the doctor walks up to my bed as soon as she walks away.

"Gale Hawthorne?" he asks, looking down at one of those glass things I saw the hovercraft doctor using.

"That's me," I confirm.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, scrolling through whatever is on his screen.

"Good enough, I guess. Kind of confused, though," I say.

"Ah, I can help out there. What do you remember?" he asks.

"Falling off the ladder. When I was on the ground, I slipped in and out of consciousness a few times. That's it," I tell him. He nods.

"Well, according to your family, your brother Rory was in charge of operating the ladder to bring you and your, er, friend, up into the craft when you were trying to escape Twelve," he begins. _Rory. _Without even thinking, my hands ball into fists.

"Okay." I unclench my fists and roll my wrists, which causes my bad arm to scream out in pain._  
><em>

"He accidentally hit the button once you were on the ladder, deactivating the force field. Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal, except your muscles were so worn out form the events of the day, that they had begun to atrophy," he says.

"Began to what?" I ask, confused.

"Atrophy," he repeats. "Basically, they began to wear down. It usually happens to people who are on bed rest or people without mobility. The muscles begin to wear away, becoming extremely weak. Usually it takes, weeks, months, even years to reach the point where they are practically useless. However, in your case, things were different."

"Oh. Okay, I understand," I say.

"So your muscles had begun to atrophy, but while you were on the ladder, one of the muscles in your arm went into spasm. This is normal, in fact, it is common. If you've ever felt a part of your body twitching, that's almost always what the cause of it is- a spasm," he says.

"Okay," I say, urging him to continue.

"When the force field stopped, the small jolt of the ladder coupled with the atrophy along with the spasm, caused you to temporarily lose the muscle strength to keep hold of the ladder. You slipped and hit the ground, about a fifteen foot fall. You landed on your arm, which is why it is broken. In addition to this, your left lung is bruised from your fall and you suffered various minor burns and scrapes during the bombing and the fires," he says.

"Alright. But I'll be okay?" I ask. Honestly, I don't really care what's going on anymore, my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of Madge.

"You're good to go once I check your vitals," he says with a glance at the tipped over machine. "Or not…" he says with a sigh. _I'm not even sorry_, I think to myself, dropping my gaze to the small drop of blood in the crook of my elbow where I tore out the needle.

"So…" I begin.

"You can go," he says with a small laugh as I leap out of the bed, only to have my entire body cry out in objection. Startled at the intense ache across my entire body, I bring a hand to my chest to check that my heart is still beating. The medic chuckles and digs around in his pocket before handing me a small orange bottle.

"Take two every morning. It will help with the pain, but it should go away in several days," he explains. I nod before thanking him and walking into the hallway, dry swallowing two of the small white pills. The bright lights of the medical wing come as a surprise to me. After being pointed towards headquarters, I push open the large wooden door to the meeting space where Coin told me to report.

Dozens of people are milling around the small room. As soon as I step into the room, I feel someone's presence directly behind me. Before I can turn my head, I hear Coin's voice boom from behind me.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" comes the voice. Everyone looks up, suddenly at attention, their previous conversations forgotten as they stand straighter and make eye contact with the intimidating woman. At the sound of Coin's voice behind me, the hair on the back of my neck stands on end and my heartbeat quickens.

"Have a seat," Coin commands, and everyone takes a seat around the large wooden table in the middle of the room. On one wall, there is a large television screen. It has to be as big as the table, if not bigger. I'm shocked at the variety of people sitting around the table. Is that…Haymitch? The man sitting next to him looks familiar also, I think I remember seeing him on television during the Quell broadcasts. The rest of the people around the table are completely fresh faces. In fact-

"Hawthorne! That means you," Coin shouts from the head of the table. I snap my head up to see that I'm the only one still standing, and I'm awkwardly still in the doorway, most likely with a stupid look on my face. Fighting back a blush that's trying to sneak onto my cheeks, I clear my mouth and sit down in the only open spot at the table.

Thus begins a long afternoon of being introduced to countless people, being briefed on the Quarter Quell happenings, and being assigned positions. I try to keep my focus on Coin and the meeting, but I can't stop thinking about Madge and my family. I want to see them so badly, and my attention keeps drifting to thoughts of them.

Eventually, when Coin adjourns the meeting, I push back my chair and sneak out of the room before anyone tries to stop and chat. I don't know where anyone I want to see is, so I have to ask a passerby where they think they could be. I'm directed towards the housing floors. I consult a large grid on a television screen to see where the H cabins are. After what seems like forever, I find myself knocking on what I hope is the right wooden door.

"Gale!" comes the cry as the door swings open. My mom stands on the other side of the door, arms open. I take a step forward, letting her hug me, sling and all. As soon as i step back, she swats me on the arm lightly.

"What was that for?" I ask, making a show of rubbing my arm.

"I told you to be safe!" she replies, closing the door.

She shows me the small housing chamber for my family. She tells me that the kids are at the Everdeen's chamber helping them get settled in. She shows me the three sets of bunk beds, small main room, and even smaller bathroom. It's even smaller than our Seam house, but still much nicer.

"Mom, do you, uh, know what happened to Madge?" I ask after we've had a few minutes to catch up on the events of the last two days.

"Yes, actually I do. Rory told me that you fell off of the ladder and passed out, right?" she asks.

"Uh, yeah," I confirm.

"He also told me that when you fell, he hit emergency stop so the hovercraft returned to the ground to get you, but Madge jumped off from several feet in the air before the craft stopped."

"Is she okay?" I ask, my palms beginning to sweat in anticipation.

"She's fine. From what I saw when you both were brought back onto the hovercraft, she had just scraped herself up a little, and part of her hair was burned. But then, when we landed in Thirteen, the medics were still taking care of you and she refused to leave your side," she says.

I can feel the blush creeping up the back of my neck.

"It was simply precious, Gale," she gushes. I roll my eyes at her.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Gale!" she scolds. I make a show of hanging my head. "Well, anyway, long story short, they finally got her off the craft and she was in the medical wing last I knew of, and that was about an hour ago. They wanted her to stay there until they had placed her in a housing unit. Since she's still 17, they have to see if she has any relatives who made it to Thirteen that she can stay with. If not, she'll be placed with other minors until she turns eighteen," my mom explains. I thank her and excuse myself to go find Madge. Surprisingly, she lets me go without a fight, she even tells me how to get back to the medical unit.

"I'll be back later. I have another meeting later but I'll see you at dinner," I tell her.

"My schedule says one thousand eight hundred under the time. What is that?' she glances at her forearm.

"It's eighteen hundred hours. It really means six o'clock. It's called military time, we used it in the mines," I explain. She looks utterly confused, but I let it go, slipping out the door.

Ten minutes later, I'm back where I started-the medical ward. I ask the lady at the large desk to see Madge Undersee from District Twelve. At first, she gives me an annoyed look and starts shooting questions at me left and right. _Are you family? Is she cleared for visitors? What room is she? I can't authorize that, you know that right? _

"Gale?" the timid voice surprises me, and I turn around to see Mrs. Everdeen standing behind me.

"Hi, Mrs. E," I step away from the desk to greet her.

"I'm so glad you're alright. Did they tell you the news? Katniss arrived this morning. Of course, she's heavily medicated right now and recovering from all of her injuries, but they said she's going to be fine!" I've never seen Mrs. Everdeen excited like this before. I have to say, happiness definitely suits her.

"That's great," I respond with a smile. Judging from her clean white dress and the weird, recurring piece of glass technology in her hands, I assume she is working here. It doesn't surprise me, she was a great healer in Twelve.

"Yeah, it really is. So what brings you over here? I thought I had heard that you were cleared to leave a couple of hours ago?" she asks.

"I was. I'd like to see Madge, but I'm running into some trouble here," I say, loud enough for the woman behind the desk to hear me.

"Room 39. Rebecca will give you a visitor's pass," she says, shooting the desk-lady a look.

"Thank you," I say with a grin, smiling at Mrs. E as the woman, Rebecca, hands me a badge. We say our goodbyes, and Mrs. E points me in the right direction. Smiling to myself, I walk past the desk and down the long white corridor. I turn a few corners before arriving at the 39th room. Through the small window, I can see Madge sitting on the bed, cross legged, in a fresh set of clothes, her blond hair perfectly clean, the burnt sections cut out. Somehow, it doesn't look choppy. In fact, I like her new hair a little better that what she had before. Not that I would admit to thinking that, though. She's reading a thick book, and her eyebrows are knitted together. I can tell that she's stressed out just by looking at her.

"Hey," I whisper, walking into the room without knocking.

"Gale!" she cries, leaping off the bed and practically running over to me. She wraps her arms around me so tight that I'm worried she's going to squeeze the air out of my already bruised lungs.

"Hey, you," I say, untangling myself from her grasp. Instead of responding verbally, she completely shocks me by standing up on her tip-toes and kissing me. Suddenly, the mood of the room completely changes. For the first time in what feels like eternity, I let myself really feel the kiss. Her lips attack mine with urgency, and I can tell how strung-out she is. My fingers weave through her belt loops and I pull us closer together. She lets out a shiver as my fingers brush against her waist. Her hands find their way to my neck, pulling my head down, closing the distance even more. It's only when I pull away that I see the thin cut, maybe two inches, across her temple.

"Madge, what happened?" I ask, pushing her hair out of the way so I can get a better look at her injury. There's a small white bandage on it, making a T shape. She blinks a few times before looking up at me with realization. I notice how swollen her lips are, and I can't help but grin inwardly.

"When you fell off the ladder, I jumped too. In the long run, I realize how stupid it was, it wasn't going to stop you from being hurt. But anyways, I jumped and when I hit the ground, I kind of slid. I cut myself against a sharp rock or stick or something like that. I didn't even realize it until they evaluated me when we got here and they noticed the cut. It didn't bleed that much and I guess the adrenaline from the whole day kept it from hurting? Either way, I didn't know about it," she says, bringing her fingers up to fix her hair so it covers the gash.

She pats the side of her bed, holding onto my hand and dragging me to sit down with her. "They told me I have to stay with someone until I turn eighteen," she says after a minute or two.

"Stay with us," I say without hesitation.

"They said it has to be a group of three or fewer," she rolls her eyes. She's trying to play it off like she's indifferent to the whole situation, but I can see her throat catch.

"I'll talk to Coin and see if there's anything I can do," I tell her reassuringly.

"Coin?" she asks.

"Yeah, Coin. President Coin?" I'm surprised she hasn't heard of her yet.

"You mean President Snow?" she asks.

"No, President Coin. Didn't anyone tell you what's going on?" I ask her.

"Nope. All I know is this is District Thirteen. But I thought that the Capitol had destroyed the thirteenth district as an example of their power or something like that during the Dark Days. So I think it's safe to say I'm a little out of the loop," she shrugs her shoulders in confusion.

I launch into an in-depth explanation of our current situation. When I've finished, Madge has a blank look on her face.

"It's gone," is all she says. I nod, feeling a lump begin to form in my throat. We sit in silence for a minute before she speaks again. "My parents, they-" but her words are cut off by a strangled sound coming from her throat. She starts crying, and I don't know what I should do. I want to grab her face in my hands and shake her, tell her that crying isn't going to bring them back. But I know that I can't do that.

I opt not to say anything, but instead to wrap my arm around her protectively and pull her towards me. I hold her close to me as she cries. Several minutes pass before her sobs turn to hiccups, and eventually, to silence.

"So," I say after a while.

"So," she repeats, sitting up.

"I have a meeting in a little while, but I have nothing until then, I thought maybe we could, er, talk?" I suggest nervously.

"What do you mean?" she asks, staring straight ahead at the left hand wall.

"It's just…well, this is our home now," I try not to hit any touchy subjects.

"True. But, what is there to talk about?" she wipes her eyes.

"I don't know, just the usual stuff," I say, trying to make this less awkward.

"Oh. Okay," she responds.

"What do you think of Thirteen?" I try to strike up a normal conversation.

"I like it," she says monotonously.

"Really?" I ask skeptically. Personally, I hate it here, and I doubt anyone who's been outdoors before would disagree with me.

"No," she says, her voice cracking.

"What don't you like about it?" I ask, trying to keep everything somewhat normal, no matter how forced.

"Everything," she admits. I'm a little surprised when she places her head in her hands and begins to cry for the second time.

"Hey, hey, hey," I say, placing a hand on her knee. This time I opt for words. "Please don't cry. Everything is going to be fine," I say, trying to calm her down. She continues to cry, and I drape my arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to me, beginning to rub circles onto her knee as her crying begins to quiet. She leans her head against my chest and we settle into silence again.

"Hey Madge?" I say after several minutes, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" I look down at her, practically in my lap, her eyes closed peacefully.

"What happened?" I ask her quietly, since all hopes of a normal conversation have been forgotten. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, she sits up and scoots back on the bed, pressing her back against the headboard.

"What do you mean?" she asks me, leaning her head back and looking up at the ceiling.

"When you ran off in Twelve," I say, turning to face her.

"I don't really want to talk about it, Gale. Not yet anyway," she says after a minute, threading her fingers through mine.

"Alright," I say, giving her hand a squeeze. "Well when you're ready, I'm here," I say, leaning over to place a kiss on her lips before standing up.

"Where are you going?" she sounds concerned.

"I have a meeting in a few minutes," I tell her.

"Oh," she says after a long pause. I nod, leaning down to kiss her again quickly. She looks up at me with wide, wet eyes, which just makes me feel even worse for leaving her alone.

"I'll be back soon," I tell her with a reassuring, albeit forced, smile, turning and walking out of the room.

As I step out of the medical unit and into the long, wide corridor, I hear the click of the public address system turn on, something I had heard earlier in the day. Just as I expected, the shrill "Commander Hawthorne to HQ. Commander Hawthorne to HQ," blares throughout the hallways.

"I'm coming!" I scream out to no one in particular. I get several concerned looks from people in the crowded hallway as I weave through the crowd to get to headquarters. As I push open the massive wooden door, I see the same group of people from earlier sitting around the large table, clearly waiting for me.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Chapter 27 already? My goodness! I feel like I'm always apologizing, but here goes...it's short and it took a while. Sorry! Also, many thanks to Fanpire109 for the information regarding the severity of Gale's injury. I didn't know a bruised lung could be that serious, and you all have my word that I'll do lots of research to make sure everything is correct from now on. Thanks Fanpire109! **

**So, here ya go, #27! Reviews = Love :)  
><strong>

_Chapter 27._

_Gale POV_

"It's about damn time!" Haymitch booms as I close the door behind me. I roll my eyes at him and slide into the only open seat, between Plutarch and Coin. Great. I look at Coin expectantly. She rises from her chair and points to the screen behind us. I turn in my chair to see what she's trying to show us. Some weird chart is on the screen, something with a lot of numbers and symbols. I rub my temples as I try to make sense of it all.

As Coin launches into an explanation and analysis of the chart, I tune her out. I beg my mind to go somewhere else, anywhere else besides this meeting. I'm snapped out of my short-lived trance when I hear my name. I look up and see Coin staring at me expectantly. "Hawthorne!" she repeats.

"Sorry," I mumble, sitting up straighter in my chair.

"Did you hear what I said?" she asks. Shit.

"Uh, no. Sorry," I admit sheepishly.

"I said that the medic just called and said that Katniss is coming out of sedation soon," she tells me.

"Oh. Okay, that's good, right?" I ask. She nods.

"Because of this, meeting is adjourned for now, there's a lot to do before she wakes up. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow, same time. See you then, and do us all a favor and don't be late," she says to the group, but she's looking directly at me. I purse my lips and cross my arms across my chest.

"Hawthorne. My office, one hour. On time, please," Coin commands. Again with the time thing. I roll my eyes, but I nod nonetheless, pushing my chair back from the table and standing up. We all file out of the room and go our separate ways. I see Haymitch and Plutarch Heavensbee go off together, and I wonder what they're up to.

I navigate the halls until I reach the housing chambers. I unlock the door to my family's compartment and swing open the door. Posy is curled up on one of the bottom bunks, sleeping soundly. Vick and Rory are sitting on the floor rolling a ball back and forth, and my mom is nowhere to be seen. I'm relieved to see them, this being the first time since waking up in the medical wing earlier.

I don't know exactly what I was thinking, maybe a hello or something along those lines, but Vick and Rory just glance up from their game for a moment before returning to the rubber ball.

"Where's Mom?" I ask quietly, as not to wake Posy.

"Helping Mrs. Everdeen get settled into her job working with the medics," Rory says without looking up from the game.

"Oh, okay. I have a meeting so I'll see you guys at dinner. Will Mom be back by then?" I ask.

"Yeah, she should be back in a few minutes she left a while ago," Vick chimes in, his eyes glued on the ball.

"Okay, see you later," I say, turning and walking out, closing the door quietly behind me. I can't help but wonder what was going on with them, but I shake the thought from my head and vow to ask my mom about it later tonight.

Instead of roaming the halls and exploring Thirteen like I've been dying to do, I head to the medical wing, which is more tempting than all of the reconnaissance in the world. After signing in at the big semi-circular desk, I tell the nurse that I'm here to see my mom. For a second, I'm worried she'll try to page her, but after considering for a minute, she hands me a visitor badge and points me down a long, bright, white hallway. I thank her and begin down the hallway. When I turn the first corner and I know she can't see me anymore, I breathe a sigh of relief and shove the badge in my pocket.

Turning a few more corners, I finally see the door I'm looking for. Room 39. Without knocking, I quietly push open the door. Madge is lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey," I greet her quietly. At the sound of my voice, she props herself up in the bed, tucking her legs under her small frame and pushing a lock of hair out of her face behind her ear.

"That was fast," she replies.

"Yeah, we ended early," I tell her.

"How come?" she asks, patting the side of her bed.

"Katniss is coming out of sedation later," I say, sitting down next to her. I can feel the mattress sink with my added weight. She slides over next to me and places her head in my lap.

"Oh," is all she says, once she is comfortable.

"You alright?" I ask, looking down at her. When she doesn't say anything in response, I being fiddling with the ends of her blond hair.

"Hey, Gale?" she asks after a while. I had actually thought she had fallen asleep- her eyes were closed and her breathing was even.

"Yeah?" her eyelids flutter open at the sound of my voice.

"I freaking hate it here," she states, matter-of-fact. I can't help but chuckle. "What are you laughing at?" she snaps, sitting up and staring at me questioningly.

"I just think it's funny how open you're being about it, that's all," I tell her with a reassuring smile.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she wraps her arms around my neck so she's fully sitting on my lap.

"Of course you can," I say.

"I've never been so scared in my entire life," she admits.

"Why's that?"

"My parents…and…Twelve…" she stops to clear her throat. "Everything I knew is gone, and I've only been here for a short time and already I've overheard nurses talking about rebellions and fighting, and it scares me. Not knowing the entirety of the situation along with feeling alone even surrounded by people…I'm scared," she says. I take a second to comprehend what she just said.

"Secret for a secret?" I ask quietly.

"Absolutely," she scoots even closer to me, tightening her arms around my neck and looking up at me.

"I feel the exact same way. I've sat in just two meetings so far, and I have another one soon, and I'm just as worried as you are. I don't know all of what's going on and with Katniss here now, who knows how things are going to go down. Plus, they didn't rescue Peeta, and Coin wants me to be the one to tell Katniss. Which is so not happening, by the way. Everything is so confusing, but it's not surprising at all, which is what thinks scares me the most out of everything. I'm scared too. But I would never admit that and if it ever comes up again I'll deny every last bit of it," I reply. It's her turn to chuckle.

"Then it looks like we're in the same boat," she mutters, turning her glance to the far wall.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" I say in response. Sighing, she nods in agreement. "I don't want you feeling like everyone's keeping you out of the loop, though. In Twelve, I had that feeling too many times- it sucks," I say.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that I'll tell you whatever I'm allowed to," I say.

"I love you," she says, leaning up to kiss me before I have the chance to respond. I kiss her back without hesitating. After only a second or two, she pulls away, letting out a shaky breath.

"You okay?" I ask. She looks up at me with sad eyes and removes her hands from my neck to push her hair behind her ears.

"Remember back in Twelve, when you and I had that promise? You know…no secrets?" she asks, wringing her hands.

"Yeah?" I ask cautiously, wondering where she's taking this.

"Well there's something I have to tell you," her voice drops down to a whisper.

"What's that?" I ask as she slides off my lap and sits next to me.

"Well…" she begins, but stops. "I…." she tries again.

"What is it?" I ask, my palms beginning to sweat in anticipation.

"I just don't want you to be mad at me," she fiddles with the hem of her shirt, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Just tell me," I urge her. I want to assure her that I won't get mad, but I know myself, and I don't know if I would be able to keep that promise.

"Okay," she lets out another shaky breath. "I had remembered you telling me about your home life and I remember you saying that your mom wasn't getting laundry after you had been whipped and I found a ton of old clothes in my attic and then I saw Sabine and she agreed to bring them to you and pretend it was her laundry and I saw the clothes at your house and it made me so happy but at the same time I felt like I was lying to you but I figured that the good outweighed the bad, so I eventually just realized that it was a good thing that I was doing because I thought that if I could just help out, even if it was a little, I would be doing something instead of sitting around doing nothing…" she blurts it all out so fast, I don't think she even took a breath.

Regardless of how fast she was rambling, I think I managed to get the whole story. As soon as the entirety of her confession sets in, a shot of anger courses over my body.

"I'm not a damn charity case!" I shout angrily, standing up from her bed.

"I never said you were," she counters in a remarkably calm voice.

"But you treated me, not to mention my family, like one! We're not a little project you can use to pass the time!" I yell, clenching my fists so tight that I think my nails are about to break the skin on my palms.

"I never said that!" she argues, her voice rising.

"But you acted like it!"

"No I didn't!" she yells, surprising me. There's no doubt in my mind that everyone in the corridor outside the room can hear us, but I'm too angry to care.

"Yes you did! And that makes me so angry, I can't even explain! I don't need your pity. My family doesn't need your pity. We don't need your money, your clothes, any of that. We were just fine before you tried to take us in as your little pet project!" I shout.

"But you weren't fine!" she shouts back at me, leaping off the bed to stand in front of me.

"Who are you to judge that?" I demand.

"I could see that you were-" she begins to argues, but I cut her off.

"It's none of your damn business!" I yell.

For a second, she doesn't say anything. I wait for her to yell in my face, to stamp her foot on the ground, to cross her arms across her chest. She does none of these things. Instead, I watch as her eyes fill up with tears.

"Get out," she says. Despite the tears in her eyes, her words are crystal clear. Instead of apologizing, trying to calm down, comforting her, or attempting to resolve the fight, I do as she says, slamming the door behind me.

I weave through dozens of people in the halls as I make my way to Coin's office. The only time I look up from staring at my boots is to ask for directions. When I arrive at the door with a nameplate on the door that reads, "Alma Coin, President," I have calmed down considerably. Running a hand through my hair and taking a deep breath, I push all thoughts of what just happened with Madge from my mind and knock three times.

"Ah, Hawthorne, right on time," Coin greets me. "Come on in."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hope everyone's having a lovely Memorial Day Weekend! I seriously can't believe it's been almost seven months since I published my first chapter. You guys have all been so wonderful to me since I began writing/publishing this story, and it means so much to me. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, so I wanted to give you guys a heads up that this story will be ending soon, maybe another couple of chapters. (It would be AWESOME to hit 200 reviews:] )However, I have some plans written out for a sequel to this, and I'm super excited to write it! So if you'd like to read that, definitely add me to your Author Alerts! If I could get feedback for the sequel like I did for this, it would be amazing. I love hearing from you all, and I can't tell you enough how much it means to me that people like my story and have stuck with me for 28 chapters! You all are amazing!** _  
><em>

..

_Chapter 28._

_Katniss POV_

The first thing I hear is a door slamming. My eyes open wide at the loud noise, and I look around, taking in my surroundings. I don't recognize anything, but it looks like one of the rooms I was healed in after the first Games. I try to sit up in bed, but I can't move. I look down to see my wrists are handcuffed to the railings on the bed I'm in. _What the hell?_ Suddenly, it hits me. The Capitol has me. I remember Johanna cutting into my arm, the countless cannons firing, and shattering the force field. There was a hovercraft, I distinctly remember waking up for a minute or two, I was being brought onto a hovercraft. I squeeze my eyes closed as tight as I can, trying to grasp at the blurry memories. Before I have a chance to really think about things, the door flies open, as do my eyes. I'm expecting to see an Avox, or a Capitol doctor, even Snow.

"Hey, Catnip."

I blink once, twice, three times before I respond. "Gale?" I'm surprised at how strong my voice sounds, I'm not sure how long it's been but I know I haven't used it in some time.

"How ya doing?" he asks, crossing the room and sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"I don't know. I don't know where I am and I have no clue what happened after the force field went out and I was brought onto a hovercraft," I say, trying to fight against the restraints on my wrists. He glances down at my hands.

"Oh, sorry about that. Apparently, you woke up once and went batshit mad on the nurses who were in the room. Haymitch says you-"

"Haymitch?" I ask, cutting him off. He nods. "So they got Haymitch too?" I gasp, my eyes surely going wide.

"No…" he looks at me quizzically.

"Wait… where are we?" I ask.

"District Thirteen," he responds without hesitation.

"What the hell!" I say.

"Let me explain," he says, launching into an in-depth explanation of everything that has happened since I left for the Quarter Quell. As soon as he finishes, I ask the only question on my mind.

"What about Peeta?"

"Well, we don't have him. We think that the Capitol picked him up along with several other tributes from the arena," he says after a lengthy pause. It takes a second for what he just said to sink in. I blink twice and try to fight off the sudden onslaught of guilt. My fists clench so tight that I can feel my nails digging into my palms. The machine next to my bed that has been beeping steadily since I woke up begins to increase in frequency until the short, high pitched beeps are coming fast enough for a nurse to burst into the room.

"Miss Everdeen?" she asks worriedly.

"I'm fine," I growl through clenched teeth.

"You have to try to relax, your heart rate just skyrocketed," she says, clearly unconvinced.

"Maybe I'd relax if you unlock these damn things!" I hiss, rattling my wrists against the restraints.

"I'm afraid that I'm not authorized to do that. It says here that only President Coin and Mr. Abernathy have a say in that matter," she says, looking down at what looks like a miniature tv screen.

"Oh," I'm not really sure what else to say.

"I can page one of them if you like," she offers.

"Haymitch, please," I respond. She nods, walking out of the room. I'm surprised when Gale gets up to follow her. "Where are you going?" I ask.

"I promised my family I'd eat dinner with them," comes his response.

"Oh. Okay, then. I'll see you soon?" I half ask, half declare.

"Yeah. Bye, Catnip," he says, closing the door behind him.

**OOOO**

_GALE POV_

Dinner is unusually quiet for my family. There's barely a steady conversation, let alone banter between the boys and questions galore about everyone's day. I try to ask how everyone is liking Thirteen, but Rory looks down at his plate, Posy starts pushing peas around her plate, and Vick just shrugs. The mess hall is crowded with people. I see many familiar faces, which I'm grateful for.

"Gale Hawthorne?" I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see a woman, probably about Mom's age, standing behind me with one of the small glass technological things in her hand.

"Yes?" I ask curiously.

"You're wanted in HQ right away, please come with me." I sigh, knowing I have no choice but to get up and follow her. I shoot an apologetic glance at my mom before pushing back my chair and following the woman out of the mess hall and down the hallway.

"Go right in," she says when we get to the closed door. I nod and enter the room. Coin, Haymitch, Plutarch Heavensbee, and a man I vaguely recognize are sitting at the large table.

"Hawthorne, come sit," Coin says. I do as she says, waiting for further instruction. "So I'm just going to cut to the chase, are you and Madge Undersee involved?" she says.

"Sorry, what?" I ask, completely shocked.

"Answer the question," she instructs. I look at everyone in the room to see if she's messing with me, but everyone looks completely serious.

"Uh, I mean….Well, like….You see….I, uh…." I realize that I don't actually know if there's a definite answer.

"Out with it," she snaps.

"Maybe?" I offer.

"What does that mean? It's a yes or no question!" she's clearly exasperated.

"I mean, we were back in Twelve, and then we weren't and this morning I guess we were, but we fought so I don't really know right now," I say honestly.

"I see," Coin muses.

"Why the hell does it matter to you if I'm seeing someone?" I ask, surprising myself.

"Well, it's imperative that your time be undivided, especially since we're on the brink of war with the Capitol," she says.

"So what are you saying?" I ask, beginning to get defensive.

"I'm saying no more."

"You can't just tell me that I can't have a personal life!" I exclaim, bringing my fist down on the table angrily.

"The hell I can!" she challenges.

"All I've done so far is sit in meetings and be the bearer of bad news. And until people start telling me what the hell is going on, why I'm doing these things, you can't control me! Why should I give you my undivided attention?" I reply.

"Why do you think we called you here?" she fires back.

"To dictate my personal life!" I cry.

"That's only part of it! Now if you calm down and give me a chance to explain, you'll find out what's going on!" she shouts. _Seems like she's the one who needs to calm down._

"I am calm," I spit back at her.

"Good. Well, you're here because we have to discuss your role in Thirteen. As you may have guessed, we will be attempting to rescue Peeta and some of the other captives, which will no doubt lead to a war with Capitol, whether we get them from the Capitol or not. We need your help with all of this. You see, you know Katniss, and I guess even Peeta, better than anyone who could be of service to us. You're skilled with weapons, and you know how to stay alive, according to Haymitch," she says, nodding in his direction.

"That's true," I say, glancing up at Haymitch.

"So, you're going to be working with Beetee here, you'll be helping him with weapons development, testing, and distribution." Coin gestures to the man sitting a few seats down from me, who nods in agreement. "In addition to that, you'll sit in on meetings and such, and you'll help us strategize. Also, you'll be helping with Katniss, and eventually Peeta if everything is successful," she says.

"What do you mean by helping?" I ask.

"Basically you'll be our go-to if things don't go right, kind of like a constant. We need her to have someone here who she's familiar with and who can reach her if we can't," Coin explains.

"But her mom and her sister are here," I point out.

"They are both working full time in the medical wing now," Coin replies. _Good for them,_ I think to myself. I know how much Prim and Mrs. E love helping people, this will be the perfect thing for them to do to keep busy.

"Okay, sounds good. On one condition," I say after a minute.

"What's that?" Coin asks, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Madge gets her own quarters," I say.

"Why would we do that?" she asks.

"Because if you don't I won't help you. And I think you know that if I don't help you, and if I tell Katniss you can't be trusted, she'll believe me over you," I point out.

"Okay, fine. Yes, she can have her own quarters; I'll put a memo out to the housing office in a minute. So you need to start getting your schedule on your forearm, yes?"

"Sure," I say.

"Good. Just follow the schedule and we should be fine. You're dismissed."

I get up and walk to the door without another word. Suddenly, I turn around. "How did you know about me and Madge?" I ask without hesitation.

Instead of responding, Coin just laughs. It's weird and unexpected, and certainly creepy. She waves her hand at me as if to shoo me out of the room. I hurry out of the room before I do something dumb like turn around and punch one of them.

**OOOO**

The next week passes fairly quickly. Beetee and I get to know each other in the weapons hall. It doesn't take me long to realize he was a tribute in the Quell, which is why I had kind of recognized him. He shows me his designs of certain weapons, and Coin sends down some soldiers one day to teach us how to use everything. It isn't long before Katniss is fine and walking around, splitting her time between napping wherever she can and avoiding meetings and disregarding her schedule. She came to visit a few times in the weapons hall and Beetee and I let her play around with some bows. We also taught her how to use a flamethrower, which was fitting for her, but terrifying.

Thirteen is way bigger than I had ever imagined, with four levels that stretch for miles. I don't see Madge all week, which goes to show how massive the place really is. Exactly a week after my initial meeting with Coin, Plutarch, Haymitch and Beetee, Bristol and I decide to explore. After dinner one night, we decide to walk around Thirteen and see how the "originals" (as they refer to themselves) keep busy. After a few hours of exploring, we find ourselves at a bar.

We get ourselves drinks, and within a few minutes, Bristol is chatting up a girl who looks very familiar. After a minute or two, I realize it's Delly Cartwright from back home. I'll admit- she's the last person I ever would have expected to see in a bar, especially because she's only seventeen, and you need to be eighteen to drink anywhere in Panem. As surprised as I am to see Delly, I'm twice as shocked to see a second blond girl sitting next to her.

For a while I just watch her as she talks to a tall guy, maybe eighteen or nineteen, with straight black hair and blue eyes. He looks strong, but I know I can take him down if I have to. He says something that makes her explode in laughter, and she motions for the bartender for another round of whatever it is she's drinking. I watch as she downs the whole thing in a matter of seconds, and starts laughing again as soon as she sets the glass back down.

When she motions to the woman behind the counter for another round, my hand tightens around my beer bottle. She hasn't seen me yet, but I can't stop looking at her. When she downs half of the third drink in two gulps, I stand up and make my way over to her. One look at the guy and he walks away, taking his own drink with him.

"Madge, are you drunk?" I hiss, placing my hand on her shoulder so she has to look at me. She stands up to look me in the eye.

"Am I drunk? Noooooooo, " she draws out the last word, reaching out and placing her index finger on the tip of my nose before erupting in a fit of giggles. I'll take that as a yes.

"How much did you drink?" I ask, taking the half empty glass out of her hand and placing it on a passing waiter's tray.

"Not enough!" she giggles, turning to reach for her drink, but I stop her.

"What do you mean?" I ask, exasperated.

"I'm still thinking about you!" she exclaims with more laughter. Ouch. That stung. I'm too shocked at her words to notice that somehow, the glass is back in her hand and has been topped off.

"Madge, no more! You're underage, if you get caught you would be in a lot of trouble," I warn, reaching for her glass. Despite her drunken state, she reacts quickly enough to do a 180 degree turn so her back is to me. In a matter of seconds, she downs the drink, the ice cubes clinking together as she turns back to face me.

"Oh, did you want this?" she asks with a cheeky smile, forcing the glass into my hand.

"Come on," I instruct, taking the glass from her. I place it on the nearest table and grab her by the wrist.

"Where are we going?" she giggles some more.

"I'm taking you back to your room," I tell her, guiding her out of the crowded bar.

"Why?" she literally stomps her foot on the ground.

"You're piss drunk Madge, come on," I urge. I don't know where her quarters are, so I have to stop at the housing office and check the log. It takes nearly thirty minutes, but eventually Madge and I are standing outside the door to her small quarters.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she questions with a snort of laughter.

"Just….never mind," I mumble, holding her forearm up to the small scanner next to the door handle. The door beeps and I push it open, ushering her into the room. The second she sees her bed, she wriggles out of my grip and is sprawled across the sheets before I register what just happened. I cross the small room to her bed and sit down on the side of it.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles into the sheets.

"It's fine," I reply, leaning over to take off her shoes and grab her purse off the bed. I place the items by the door, and return to the bed, pulling back the sheets as much as I can. Madge is already snoring lightly, so I scoop her up in my arms and reposition her, this time under the sheets. "Goodnight, Madge," I whisper, although I doubt she hears me. I turn off the light next to the bed, tucking the sheet under her chin like I do when I put Posy to bed. She stirs a little, opening her eyes a tiny bit.

"Night," she mutters, closing her eyes and falling back asleep almost instantly. I tiptoe over to the door and let myself out.

**OOOO**

The next morning, I wake up to a knock on the door of our quarters. I have the day off, so I'm peeved that I'm being woken up. I check the clock on the wall and see it's eleven in the morning. I've never slept a minute past eight, so I'm surprised. I look around and see that I'm alone in the room. I can't help but wonder where my family is, but reluctantly, I get up and cross the small room to the door.

"Madge? Is everything okay?" her eyes are bloodshot and she's shaking a little.

"No," she says quietly. I don't hesitate to open my arms. She hugs me tighter than she ever has before. I reach out to close the door and then wrap my arms around her.

"What happened?" I ask after a minute. She pulls away, and I can see tears welling in her eyes.

"They're sending me away," she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"To get Peeta," she mumbles, turning back into my chest.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"There was a meeting this morning and they told me I was going to the Capitol to sneak Peeta out," she says, turning her head to the side so I can hear her clearly.

"What?" I ask.

"They called me to Head Quarters early this morning and told me that I was going to be a soldier, and I would be leaving tomorrow morning. They didn't even ask me to shoot or anything like that to prove I was qualified, I walked in the door and they said I was a soldier," she explains, blinking back tears.

"They can't do that!" I argue.

"But they did," she responds.

"I'll go down there, and I'll tell them you aren't qualified, they can't send you out into the Capitol like that!" I say.

"Nothing you can say will change their minds!" Madge exclaims.

"I can try!" I argue.

"I don't want to go! I can't shoot a gun! I don't know why the hell they would pick me to be part of the rescue team!" she starts crying.

"I know why," I mutter under my breath.

"What? You do? Why?" she asks through her tears.

"Here, come sit down," I pull away from her and lead her over to the small table. It's then that I see the note, written in my mother's careful hand_. Thought we'd let you sleep…exploring with the Everdeens. See you at dinner. Love you, Mom. _

"Why are they doing this?" she asks, bringing me back to our conversation.

"Last week, I got called to Head Quarters, and they asked me if we were involved. Coin was insistent that I was giving her my undivided attention, no matter what," I explain, rubbing my temples. _Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm._

"What did you say?" she asks quietly.

"Hmm?"

"When they asked about us. What did you say?" she asks.

"I said I didn't know. It was right after we had fought, so as far as I knew, we were over again," I tell her honestly.

"And they said?"

"To keep it that way."

"So you just let them dictate what you do? Doesn't sound like the guy I know," she raises her eyebrows.

"Well, I did argue with them quite a bit. And then I guess I kind of made a deal with them so to say. But regardless…" my voice trails off.

"And this happened last week? Does this situation, and this, er, deal, have anything to do with me getting my own quarters last week?" she asks, drumming her fingers on the table. Her tears have stopped and she looks relatively calm now.

"It might, maybe a little bit," I reply with a small shrug of my shoulders and a smirk.

"Well, thank you. Although I won't be enjoying it for much longer," she says with a sad smile.

"No, you will be. You're not going on that mission or whatever it is to rescue Peeta," I tell her.

"Gale, I have to," she argues.

"No! I'm not letting them send you there, its ridiculous! If they're short a soldier they can send me," I say.

"I told you, they already made up their minds! I don't want to go, but at this point you just have to let me," she says, her voice cracking.

"This is all my fault, you have to let me fix it!" I argue.

"You have a family here, and Katniss and her family, and from what I hear, you have a job here now. I don't have any of that, it makes no sense for you to put all of that on the line!"

"But I'd do it!"

"I know you'd do it, you'd do it in a heartbeat. It's not worth it, though. Trust me, I don't want to go, but I'd rather go than send you or let you go in my place," she says.

I run my hand though my hair a few times while I think about what she's saying. Of course, it makes perfect sense, but it still isn't what I want.

"I'm going to talk to Coin," I finally say, standing up. Madge stands up with a sigh.

"Don't do anything stupid," she says, leaning in to hug me. I wrap my arms around her and she adds, "I'm sorry we always fight."

"It's okay," I say. She pulls away and looks at me.

"I promise I'll try to stay alive," she smiles. Before I can stop myself, I'm leaning down and she's leaning up the last inch or two, and then we're kissing. Her hands find my hair and mine her hips, and we're pressed flush against each other. She leans into me, pressing me against the closed door. When we finally break apart, she says, "Don't do anything stupid."

"I can't promise you that," I say honestly.

"Yeah, I know. Figured it was at least worth a shot," she shrugs.

"Will I see you later?" I ask.

"Dinner? I have 18:30," she replies, glancing down at her forearm. I look down at my own, but see that it's blank.

"I don't have mine yet, I haven't gone out yet. But I think that's when I eat. If not, I'll come find you," I say, opening the door a crack. She nods.

"Oh, quick question?" she adds.

"Hmm?" I close the door.

"Judging by the pounding in my head and the burning in my throat, I'm going to guess I was drunk last night," she says.

"That's not a question," I point out.

"I know that!" she laughs and slaps me playfully on the arm.

"Well you lost your opportunity. My turn for a question- why were you drunk last night?" I ask.

"Well, I remember that I had bumped into Delly Cartwright yesterday afternoon and we decided to explore together. Somehow we wound up at a bar on the third level. I'm not really sure where she went, but the last thing I remember is seeing a familiar face walk in."

"What an interesting story," I try to hold back my grin.

"However, I remember this morning vividly. I woke up and my shoes were off and I was properly in my bed. All of the lights in my room were off and the mess that was on the floor before I left yesterday was mysteriously picked up. Now here's my question- do you know how someone who was drunk could have managed all of that?" she asks with a small smile.

"Magic cleaning fairies?" I offer.

"It was you, wasn't it?" she says excitedly and begins to laugh. Instead of answering her, I open the door completely and usher her out.

"Bye now!" I call after her. I probably should have been more careful, what if someone saw her coming out of here and is going to tell Coin? My worries are quickly forgotten when I hear Madge's laugh echoing in the hallway, dying down as she walks away.

**A/N: Hehehe, drunk Madge is fun to write. Don't forget- Author Alert if you want to see the sequel! And as always, please drop me a review :) Much love xoxo**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: So I'm sorry to say that the next chapter probably won't be up for a while. I'm going to be without my laptop for several weeks while I get it repaired, so unless I get a few hours on the desktop I'm going to be sharing with a few others for the time being, I probably won't post again for several weeks. I'm not really sure how long repairs are going to take, but I was told sometime around the beginning of July…which seems like forever. This story is coming to a close (probably Chapter 31 or 32 will be the last), and things are beginning to heat up, so having a longer-than-usual wait between chapters is seriously the last thing I want to do right now. However, I really, really, **_**really **_**need my computer fixed and I didn't really have any other choice than to have it done this week. Please, just bear with me, I'll make it worth it, I promise. Thank you all for understanding!**

**So, on another note, I'm starting this chapter out with a different POV than I've used before Happy reading!**

_Chapter 29._

_Posy POV_

I don't know why Gale hasn't been around since we arrived at this place. Mommy woke me up early today, and Rory and Vick too. She said we were going to keep exploring our new District, but when she went to see if the Everdeens were coming too, Rory told me and Vick that it was just to let Gale be alone. I don't know why he needs to be alone so much, but it's annoying. I don't like this new place at all, because ever since we got here, Gale has been ignoring us. The other night, all I wanted to do was to play with him and Rory and Vick, but he told me he was too tired and he went to sleep. Games just aren't as fun without Gale.

When we lived in District Twelve, he always played when we asked him to. This new place isn't even a real District, not like the one we used to live in, and not like the ones I saw on the television one time. It's cold here, and no matter where you are, it smells like metal. They don't even let me wear my pink ribbon in my hair, when Mommy put it in last week they made her take it out. I don't like how we have to wear the same colors, either. There's nothing pink or even purple in the closets, it's all boring colors like what Gale used to wear back home. The only thing I like about this new place is that we get to eat three times a day. Mommy told me that Katniss went away last year and that boy Peter something went with her. Before that, we only ate once every day. After that, sometimes we got a special treat during the day before we had supper. I remember the time that Vick had a cough and Mommy let him have some syrup, and we all got to have some too. That was a good day.

This morning, when Mommy woke us up, we went and had breakfast and then she took us to another level of this place. There are so many people here! I like exploring the new district, because that way Vick and Rory can't play without me, we all get to be together. Mommy shows us lots of different little sections of this level that we're on now. There are shops and stands in this big, ginormous room that we are in. Mommy buys me a new stuffed bunny, but I still don't like it here.

**Gale POV**

As soon as Madge leaves, I shower and put on a fresh set of clothes from the closet that always seems to be stocked. I lace up my boots and put my arm in the wall for my schedule. Even though I technically have the day off, I'm scheduled for a meeting at 15:00 in Head Quarters. Besides lunch at 12:00, I have nothing until then. I'm not particularly hungry, so I decide to skip lunch and go find Coin.

With another look at my arm, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see I have dinner at 18:30, with Madge. I see my mom's note on the table and feel a small pang of guilt. I really do feel bad for the lack of time I've spent with my family since we've arrived in District Thirteen, but I haven't had any time to myself either, if that's any form of consolation. _I'll make it up to them later, _I think to myself. I slip the note in my pocket and head out.

I reach Head Quarters in record time. It's only when I come to the doors of the large conference room that I realize my hands have been balled into fists. Uncurling my fingers, I notice the small half-moon indents in my palms from where my fingernails had been digging into my skin. I breathe shakily and wrap my hand around the cold metal door handle. My instincts tells me to knock first, but impulse leads me to throw open the door and march inside.

"Hawthorne?" Coin looks up from the big table, where she sits with Haymitch. Papers are fanned out in front of them and several diagrams are up on the large monitor. There's a short, thin man standing in the corner, who Coin quickly waves away when she sees me. I look at her, then at Haymitch. They both look fairly surprised to see me.

"I have a bone to pick with you!" I say.

"What in the world could this possibly be about?" she asks, taking in my attitude along with my balled fists. I uncurl my fingers once more, silently begging them to stay straight.

"You're sending Madge Undersee to the Capitol?" I ask, getting right to the point. The surprise that was once on her face suddenly vanishes and she sits up a little straighter.

"It would seem that way, now wouldn't it?" she replies.

"Are you kidding me?" I cry.

"I don't see what's wrong with it," Coin blinks twice.

"You don't see what's wrong with it? You've got to be kidding me! She's seventeen! She's not even a legal adult, let alone a soldier! She can't clean and reload a gun on command, let alone shoot one, and you're sending her on a dangerous mission to an area of the country we're about to declare war on? Tell me what _isn't_ wrong with that!" I'm shouting now. I slam my hands down on the table in anger, keeping my eyes locked on her face.

"First of all, I suggest you settle down. Second, it's in everyone's best interest that she goes on this mission," she says.

"In everyone's best interest how?" I challenge.

"Well, the crew was short a person," she remarks.

I lift my hands from the table just so I can slam them down again. "The crew is short a person so you demand an untrained, seventeen year old girl to go?" I shout.

But instead of giving me the satisfaction of a real response, she ignores my question and adds, "Not to mention, you certainly don't need any distractions, especially now that we're so close to war with the Capitol."

I come so close to reaching across the table and punching her in the face, but I miraculously hold myself together. "That's not fair!" I argue.

"Tell me what about that isn't fair?" she challenges.

"I have given you nothing but my undivided attention since the beginning. You can't punish her for something she has nothing to do with!"

"I'm not punishing her," is all she says.

"Then tell me what the hell you're doing!" I demand, bringing my hands down on the table once more. This time, Haymitch flinches. Coin sighs; fidgeting so that she is sitting up even straighter in her chair, if that's even possible.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with a punishment. Honestly, Gale, you're too valuable to this operation to lose to some girl-"

"She's not _some girl_! She has a name and she has feelings and I'm not going to let you take advantage of her and use her as a pawn so you can get what you want!" I shout.

"It's in your best interest not to interrupt me mid-sentence again," she responds curtly.

"Noted," I snap. I can see she's fighting against her own self control to keep calm, too. _At least it isn't just me. _

"As I was saying, you're too valuable to us. This war with the Capitol can't happen without your skills and connections," she says.

"I did what you told me. I stopped seeing Madge, like you asked. I can't make any sense out of why you would put her on this goddamned mission like this!"

"Were you or were you not in her housing quarters last night?" Coin asks.

"Is that what this is about? Because I swear, nothing happened! She needed some, er, assistance getting home and I helped her back. There's nothing going on between us!" I say.

"So you were in her quarters?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"I thought you told me you were finished seeing her?"

"Did you hear a single thing I just said?" I shout.

"Forget it. It comes down to the fact that you're too useful to be lost to girl drama. With her away for several days, it should give us the time we need to prepare for war the second we get Peeta out of there."

"What if you can't get Peeta?" I ask.

"Leave that to us."

"It's a crapshoot. You realize that, right? From what I heard in a meeting yesterday, the only thing you know is that he's in the basement of the Presidential mansion. What room is he in? What entrance will they be using? How long until security respond? It's too risky!" I argue.

"It's none of your concern," Coin says dryly.

"Well if you send her, I won't work with you. Consider me done," I say. It feels childish, giving an ultimatum like this, but it's the only thing (both moral and legal) I can think of to get her out of this situation.

"No you won't. You know that if you cut ties with the rebellion planning, Katniss will stop helping us too. If Katniss stops, we cancel the mission. If there's not Katniss, there's no need for us to go get Peeta. Simple as that. That means Peeta remains in the Capitol, where he is presumably being tortured on a daily basis. And I think we all know how Katniss will respond to this," Coin fires back.

"She'll go crazy," Haymitch contributes.

Shit. I didn't quite put that together. It's a goddamn catch 22! There's no way I can win in this situation, and Coin knows it. I watch her face, and her small smirk confirms that she has known from the very beginning exactly what she was doing. I don't even have to say anything; she knows that I've figured it out. She knows she got me.

"So, who's it going to be, Katniss or Madge?" she asks.

"You can't give me an ultimatum like that!" I argue, although I'm grasping at straws here.

"You just gave me one. Double standard much?" she challenges. _Shit. _Got me again. She's acting awfully childish, though.

"I- I can't choose like that," I say after a minute.

"You have to," she states.

"You know, you really are no better than the Capitol. Manipulating people to get what you want, dangling their loved ones in front of their faces until they give in. Shame on you. And Haymitch? You're her mentor, for God sakes! Shouldn't you at least pretend she means something to you? Peeta too. Your job still isn't over, you need to keep him alive. Both of them, for that matter. You know damn well they'd both do the same for you. Shame on both of you, you're horrible excuses for leaders. Haymitch, if you had done your job right in the Quell, we wouldn't be in this situation now. Peeta would be here with Katniss right now, and an innocent girl wouldn't be forced to go on a risky mission. When you get Peeta, be sure to let him know that the place he's coming to is no better than what he's leaving behind in the Capitol."

Haymitch at least has the decency to blush and avert his gaze to his hands. Coin on the other hand, doesn't even blink an eye. "So your decision?" she asks, ignoring what I just said.

"I think that's clear, Alma," Haymitch says.

"Hawthorne?" she calls, but I'm already halfway out the door. I slam it so hard behind me I'm surprised it doesn't fall off the hinges. I hurry down the hallway until I see a small closet on my right hand side. I swing the door open and walk inside. I slam the door just as hard as I slammed the HQ door and stand with my back against it.

My mind is racing and I can feel my own pulse in my ears. Slumping down so I'm sitting, I bring my hand to my temple and try to sort things out. _I picked Katniss. Why did I pick Katniss?_ _I can't believe I picked Katniss. Why didn't I pick Madge? Is keeping Katniss sane really worth risking Madge? What if they don't get Peeta? _My thoughts are interrupted by a light knock on the door. Reluctantly, I stand up and open the door.

"Madge?" I ask.

"What just happened? You promised me you weren't going to do anything stupid!"

"I- I don't know, I- I just…" I try to explain, but my voice trails off.

"What happened? I was on my way to the special weapons room to learn how to shoot and I heard a door slam and I saw you walking away. Knowing you, it was a pretty fair guess something bad happened in there," she chuckles.

"Come here," I say, pulling her into the closet with me. It's only when she flicks the light switch next to the door that I realize that I had been sitting in the dark the whole time.

"What happened?" she asks again.

"I went to see Coin," is all I say.

"You didn't have to do that-" she begins to argue, but I cut her off.

"Yes I did. I need you to just hear me out right now, okay?" I say. She nods. "They know I was in your room the other night, when you were drunk and I brought you home. I don't know how they know, but I guess someone saw us. They're sending you to the Capitol to make sure I'm not distracted by anything for the few days it is going to take before we get Peeta out and they declare war on us or vice versa," I explain.

"What's the problem with that?" she asks.

"You're not disposable! I'm not going to sit here while you're in the Capitol risking your life on some mission just because we're spotted together around Thirteen, it's ridiculous!" I can feel myself getting fired up again.

"Think of it this way- it's a small price to pay for you saving me," she says with a smile.

"Saving you?" I'm confused.

"From Twelve. I was being really difficult, and you easily could have left me there to die after I ran off, but you didn't," she says.

"That's totally different!" I protest.

"No it isn't. You saved me from Twelve, I saved you from 'being distracted'," she chuckles, making air quotes.

"It isn't the same," I argue.

"Shh. It's fine, I'll be fine. I was in a meeting right after I left your quarters, and they told me the basics. It's only supposed to be three days, and that really hot victor Finnick is coming! He's so nice! His girlfriend is there, Annie. They think she's keeping him with Peeta," Madge says.

"Really hot, you say?" I can't help but smirk.

"Not as hot as you," she laughs, slapping me on the arm.

"Seriously, Madge, I'm still not okay with this," I say.

"I know. I'm scared, but it will be good for me. I need something to get my mind off of Twelve anyway, I especially need to get my parents off my mind, even though it's impossible," her voice drops a little, and I remember that night in Twelve when she told me about her brain thingy.

"But you can't," I say.

"I know I can't. But this will just give me something to replace those thoughts for the time being," she says with a shrug.

"This sucks," I mutter.

"I know, but it's going to be over soon. What did you say to Coin?" she asks.

"I told her if they sent you I was withdrawing myself from the rebel forces," I tell her.

"Let me guess: they didn't buy it?"

"Even worse. They countered and told me if I did that then they would cancel the mission," I say.

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" she asks hopefully.

"No. If they cancel the mission, Peeta doesn't come back. If Peeta stays in the Capitol, Katniss will go crazy. Even crazier than she is now. It was so hard for me to choose, and I'm sorry, I am-"

"Gale."

"I'm so sorry! I don't know why I said fine to the mission, it was stupid and this whole situation just sucks. I don't want you to go, but I can't let Katniss go crazy! They told me I had to pick and-"

"Gale."

"It was so hard, how am I supposed to choose like that? But it was the right choice, I'm sorry though. I mean, I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't, but I'm sorry it happened like this. I shouldn't have had to choose. I started yelling at them about how they were no better than the Capitol and then I left. I didn't mean to-"

"Gale!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Gale, stop," she says, grabbing my shoulders to get me to look at her.

"Madge, I don't know what to say, I-"

"It's _fine. _You didn't do anything wrong. I would have picked Katniss over myself, too," she smiles.

"You…you aren't mad?" I ask.

"Of course I'm not mad, how could I? At this point, it's beyond your control, mine too. Let's just forget about it," she suggests.

"How am I supposed to forget about it?" I ask.

"I'm sure you'll find a way. Why don't you come down to special weapons with me, I'm sure shooting some stuff could help you feel a little better?"

"Ah, you know me too well. Let's go," I say with a small laugh, albeit somewhat forced.

**OOOO**

Madge and I spent the afternoon in special weapons. Beetee and I taught her how to use a knife and a gun, and by dinnertime she could disassemble her military issued handgun, clean it, reload, and shoot her whole magazine in under a two minutes. I'm proud of her, she's handling the whole situation much better than I had expected, and I think she might even be calmer than I am. We walk to dinner together, and she sits with me, my family, Bristol, and a few others from Twelve. I can see she's a little nervous for what the morning will bring, but she's laughing and smiling like nothing is wrong. After dinner, I walk her to her quarters.

"Thanks for today, it wasn't too bad," she says with a small smile. We're standing outside of her closed door, her hand lingering on the knob.

"You're right, it wasn't too bad," I reply.

"I don't know if I'll see you tomorrow, I have to report to the east hangar at six hundred hours. What time is that, again?" she asks.

"Six AM," I say with a laugh.

"Right, so yeah. Six AM I have to report, where we'll be briefed again, we'll suit up, and then we'll leave. They say we'll be back here Sunday night if all goes according to schedule."

"It's not a goddamned vacation; you guys should come back as soon as you can!" I say. She laughs.

"Not my decision. I'll see you Sunday, yeah?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say quietly.

"Everything okay?" she asks.

"Yeah. I just, I just keep thinking, you know, what if Peeta isn't where they think he is? Or what if you can't get him?" I admit.

"Everything will be fine. No use thinking like that, okay? I'll see you Sunday night."

"You better. If you're not here by Monday morning, I'm coming to the Capitol to look for you," I joke.

"You wouldn't dare!" she laughs.

"You're right, I'd be too busy breaking down the door to Coin's office," I say, but this time I'm not sure if I'm joking or not.

"Goodnight, Gale," she says, leaning up to kiss me. The second our lips meet, I hear a voice behind me.

"What the hell is this?" Madge quickly steps back.

"Katniss?" she asks.

"What the hell?" Katniss repeats.

"I- I- It's not…it's not what it looks like…" Madge fumbles for her words, taking another step back and falling into the door.

"Yes it is," I correct. "Madge, you don't have to lie to her anymore. Katniss, it's exactly what it looks like, what's wrong with that?" I ask, grabbing Madge's hand to help her steady herself.

"Are…are you guys _together_?" she asks. Madge and I look at each other for a split second, then nod.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Katniss crosses her arms.

"Why should we have? You didn't tell me you and Peeta were back together," I challenge.

"That's completely different!"

"Oh, yeah? How's that?" I challenge.

"It…it…it's not," she finally says, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," Madge offers.

"Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry for," Katniss takes the words out of my mouth. "Well, I was just coming by to wish you luck on your mission tomorrow. I, uh, I wanted to say thank you. For getting him. Hopefully, I'll see you both Sunday night?"

"No problem. And yes, Sunday night."

"Well, I need to be getting back to my family. Gale, I expect details on all of this, yes?" Katniss says, wagging her finger between me and Madge. I nod. "Good luck, Madge," Katniss smiles.

"Don't worry, we'll get him," Madge says, enveloping Katniss in a hug. For the first time all day, I believe it.

**A/N: So, once again, if I'm lucky I'll be able to write and post sometime before July, but don't expect anything until around the first week of July. Sorry to do this, but I really need my computer fixed. To anyone taking exams, good luck! To anyone finishing up school, good luck to you as well! Have a lovely beginning of summer, everyone. See you all as soon as my computer is fixed! **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I'm back! I just got my computer back (finally) and I just wanted to thank all of you lovely people for waiting patiently. You might have noticed, but I made myself a banner (I think that's what it's called?) for Breakable! Also, I just noticed that this story has nearly 28,000 views. That is INCREDIBLE, thank you so much! Sooo yeah, fun stuff. I wrote this chapter out on paper while I was without my own computer, but as soon as I tried to copy it over the other night, I hated it all. So this isn't what I had originally planned for, but I still like this chapter nonetheless. Hope you do too! Please review and let me know what you think will happen in the last two chapters! **

_Chapter 30._

_Gale POV_

The next several days are spent doing nothing but worry about the mission. It isn't like me to openly fret about something, but since the teams left for the Capitol, I haven't been able to untangle the knots in my gut. I haven't heard much of anything, which isn't helping those knots. Every time I ask, Coin always tells me the same thing: no news is good news. Every time she says this, I try to reason with her that if they all died or were captured, there would not be any news because they would all be dead. She doesn't have any of it and tells me to get back to work.

I have resorted to burying myself in my work. Sometime late, Saturday night, I wake up to a large crash coming from right next to me. Sitting up with a start, I notice that I am on the ground of the large archery closet in Special Weapons. The next thing I notice is the (now-empty) quiver several feet to my left, its arrows scattered across the cold cement floor. With a groan, I push myself to my feet and scoop up the quiver and arrows. Once the quiver is properly re-stocked, I put it on a shelf and open the door. The massive clock above Beetee's desk/work area reads 1:36 in the morning. _It's officially Sunday,_ I think to myself, smiling inwardly. Only a few more hours to go until the teams are due back.

"Gale?" comes the confused voice. I spin around to see Beetee standing in the doorway, clearly puzzled.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm, uh, just heading out," I respond, stifling a yawn.

"So am I. I finally worked that glitch out of the new flame thrower. It took hours, but I figured it out. The ratios were all wrong…" his voice trails off as he lets out a long yawn. "You know what? It's late. I'll tell you about it tomorrow when I have the energy to demonstrate it for you," he yawns again. "I thought you went to your quarters hours ago?" he asks after a second.

"Nah, I went to check archery inventories and I, uh, guess I got distracted," I say.

"Did you fall asleep again?" he asks with a hint of a smile. _Again? Does he know about yesterday's quick nap? _My cheeks flush red, but before I can answer, he nods knowingly. "Gale, go to your quarters and get some sleep. You haven't been on the ball lately, and I need your best work this week if they're serious about declaring war next week," he tells me.

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Well, actually, I guess later today," I say with a forced laugh, glancing up at the clock.

"Bye, Gale." With that, he switches off the lights, leaving me in the darkness.

In ten minutes, I'm in my quarters. Everyone in my family is already sound asleep, which I had expected. Mom usually waits up for me to come back, but I'm so late tonight, I wasn't expecting her to stay up that long. I close the door as quietly as possible and slip off my boots. I'd be lying if I said that I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. My mind is racing, trying to think of all of the different things that could have gone wrong with the mission. I toss and turn for what feels like minutes, but when I begin hearing sounds coming from the hallway, I know it has been hours and it's already morning.

I toss and turn a few more times before I decide to abandon all hope of sleeping and get up to start my day. Despite my qualms about the mission, there is some hope, no matter how small, burrowed deep in my gut; hidden deep below the worry that is causing the sweat on my palms. I throw on a fresh set of clothes and lace up my boots tighter than usual, relishing in the constriction of the thick black laces. I decide to leave the stubble on my face, simply because I cannot be bothered to shave this morning.

Everyone else in my family is still sound asleep, despite the noise I made when I accidentally let a drawer close too fast, resulting in a slamming noise that made me cringe. I slip out of our quarters and keep my eyes trained on the ground as I walk the halls of Thirteen, trying to avoid eye contact which could result in conversation.

Instead of heading down to Special Weapons like I'm supposed to, I take a quick detour. When I left my quarters, it was a little bit before six. The kitchen staff begins to serve breakfast at eight each morning, so I'm relieved to see that the huge mess hall is empty. I slip into the attached kitchen and see that it, too, is empty. I open the door of the massive refrigerator and reach for a miniature bottle of energy drink. Several days ago, Beetee let it slip that he would sneak in here and grab a bottle every time he had to stay up late to finish a project. I unscrew the cap and throw back the tart liquid in one gulp. I toss the empty bottle in the garbage can and roll my neck, listening to the satisfying crack. I turn around and smack right into someone else.

"Gale?" I look up at the person who I just collided with and grin.

"Hey, Bristol!" I haven't seen him in what feels like ages. In reality, it's only been a few days, but it feels like forever.

"How have ya been, man?" he asks. I shrug. "Yeah, same here. They hired me downstairs in the housing department, it's my first day today," he says.

"First day, huh?"

"Yep. So far, the hours are my only complaint."

"You look like hell," I say with a smirk.

"I'm not used to being up early," he says with a chuckle.

"What about all those early shifts in the mines back home?" I point out, faltering at the thought of home.

"Those don't count!" he argues.

"Sure they don't."

"Well, I was coming in here to try to mooch some coffee off the workers but it doesn't look like they've shown up yet," his smile drops and he looks like a small child.

"Try one of these," I say, reaching into the fridge and handing him an energy shot. He downs it quickly.

"Hey, isn't Madge coming back today?" he asks.

I nod. "The teams are due back tonight a little bit after dinner time. I haven't heard anything yet, though. According to Coin, no one else has either. She keeps telling me 'no news is good news' but between you and me…"

"You aren't convinced," he finishes my sentence with a grimace. I nod.

"Well good luck, man. I hope everything turns out right. Besides, I'm sure she's right and they're on their way back already! Everything will be good," he says, rubbing his neck.

"Thanks, man. See ya around," I say with another nod and walk out of the kitchen. After talking to Bristol, I decide to head to headquarters and check in with Coin before heading down to Special Weapons to test out that flame thrower with Beetee. Besides, I still have to finish taking inventory of the archery closet. For a second, I think that I should go right to Special Weapons so I'm not later than Beetee, but I decide he won't show up for another few hours, seeing how late he was up last night.

I don't even have a specific time I'm supposed to report to work, if you could even call it that, but I'm usually there around breakfast time or right after, depending on the day. Beetee usually comes in a few minutes after me, but lately he's been there when I show up, and he stays even later than I do. When there's a lull in the work, I'll go to headquarters or I'll find my family. Sometimes, I'll even head to our quarters and sneak a quick nap in. Every day, I'm excused from work with Beetee to attend meetings in HQ. One is right before lunch, and the other is at five. However, here they say 1700 hours.

It doesn't take long to walk to headquarters. I never knock, but today, I hear yelling coming from behind the doors from where I stand at the end of the corridor. I quicken my pace and consider opening the doors, but I decide against it and press my ear up to it instead, straining to hear what's going on.

This was not supposed to happen!

How could you be so stupid?

You were never authorized to make decisions like that!

And Peeta?

How about hostages?

Yes, you should get back here now!

Abandon the plans, then!

If you have him, get back here!

What was that?

McGregor!

Commander McGregor if you can hear me, I demand a response!

What was that?

Hello? Hello? Dammit!

There's a pause on the other side of the door, but I don't walk in yet, despite the sweat on my palms and my racing heart.

I hear Coin's voice, although it's much quieter now, and I can't quite make up what she's saying.

The second I hear something slam on the other side of the door, I swing the door open. "What the hell is going on?" I demand, taking in the sight of the overturned chair and the papers scattered across the conference table.

"Gale!" Coin looks up, clearly surprised. Her usually crisp pantsuit is wrinkled and she has dark bags under her eyes. It's safe to assume she never went back to her quarters last night.

"What the hell is going on?" I repeat, my heart pounding.

"Something…something happened, is all. No use in worrying about it," she says through a clearly forced smile. I raise my eyebrows at her. "Oh, to hell with it. No use in lying…how much did you hear?" she asks.

"Enough to know something very serious just happened," I reply.

"Sit down, Gale," she instructs, although her voice lacks its usual authoritative tone.

"I'm fine standing."

"Okay, whatever. There have been some complications with the mission in the Capitol," she says, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"What kind of complications?" I ask, the knots in my gut tightening.

"Well, once they arrived in the Capitol, they broke into four teams, as was planned. From there, everything went according to plan until about a half hour ago. This last leg of the mission was where they were actually going to retrieve Peeta, Annie Cresta, and Johanna Mason. Now, in the Capitol, it's about half past midnight. One team was assigned to be on lookout, and the other three were each assigned a hostage to retrieve. They were all scheduled to meet at the rendezvous point at eleven thirty, but as of midnight, only two teams reported."

"Which teams?" I ask. As horrible as it is, the only thing I want to know is which team Madge was on, and if she reported or not. However, I have a little bit of sense, which happens to be enough to know that I should hear Coin's entire story before I worry about my own priorities.

"The team with Peeta and the team with Annie. The lookout team and the team with Johanna never reported."

"Where are the other teams?" I ask, even though I doubt she knows, or else she wouldn't be so worried.

"As of now, we have no idea. The lookout team was stationed in pairs- one at the back entrance to the holding cells and the other pair at the front."

"Why didn't they report?"

"No clue. I was just speaking to Commander McGregor, and he thinks they were seized by guards and ex-peacekeepers. However, before I could give him further instructions, there was some sort of commotion, followed by gunfire, and the line went dead. So I don't know what's going on right now. Beetee should be on top of that as we speak, he's working on tapping into security camera footage to try to locate the other teams."

I nod. "Wait," I say, remembering something I heard her say when she must have been on the phone with McGregor. "You told McGregor he wasn't authorized to do something… what was it that he did?"

She grimaces. "He sent another team in to try to locate the other two teams."

"He what?" I ask. I must have heard her wrong, because the first thing everyone who trains to be in the services is taught is not to be a hero. McGregor shouldn't have sent anyone back in, _especially_ if he wasn't authorized to even make decisions like that.

"He sent another team back in," she repeats, shaking her head.

After a moment of silence, I decide I have to know. "Well, I have to ask…what team was Madge on?"

Instead of answering me, Coin answers the phone that has just begun ringing. She sighs when she hears the voice on the other end and begins talking about meetings and memos and other things that don't concern me. After a few minutes, she hangs up the receiver and looks at me. "What did you ask?" she questions. As soon as the words are out of her mouth, the door flies open and Beetee hurries into the room.

"I found them," he says.

**A/N: So what do you think happened? What team do you think Madge was on? Please review and let me hear what you think will happen in the final two chapters; I'd love to hear all of your predictions! Also, I am planning to make a trailer for the sequel, even though I need to finish this story before I start the sequel. But I'm going to take a short break before I post the sequel because I need to map the first few chapters out and such. However, the trailer will give you all a quick look into what's in store for everyone in the next installment! So be sure to keep an eye out for news on that in future Author's Notes. So yeah, drop me a review, I hope you enjoyed!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: So, It's currently 1:51 am and I have to be up in a few hours, but this could not wait any logner! I felt this really strong urge to write, and for the first time in a while, this chapter had the outcome I had planned and wasn't much of a struggle to get to. I hope you all enjoy, be sure to let me know what you're thinking! Only one more chapter after this!**

-..

_Chapter 31._

_Gale POV_

"Where are they?" Coin asks, jumping to her feet with a frantic look in her eyes.

"One team is in a holding cell in the third corridor and the other team- the other missing team, that is- has yet to be located. I have only tapped two cameras so far, though. I'm working in a counter-clockwise rotation from the back entrance," Beetee explains.

"Pull it up on the screen here while I try to get a hold of McGregor." Coin picks up the phone and starts punching in numbers on the keypad.

"Gale, give me a hand?" Beetee asks. It's just now that I notice the large rolling cart behind him. It's covered in wires, screens, and keypads. I wonder how practical it is, but it must be worth the haul because it seems to have done its job in a short amount of time.

"Sure," I say, helping him maneuver the large cart across the room to the huge screen behind the conference table. Coin is dialing different numbers now, seeing as something most likely happened to Commander McGregor the last time she was on the phone with him. "What is all this?" I ask Beetee after a minute.

"Well, I use the keypads to type in the codes that crack through the security walls that the Capitol uses to protect their data transmissions, official records, and security footage. It's rather foolish of them to keep everything in one spot, if you ask me. Especially because I could break through their pitiful excuse for encryption in my sleep," he says with a laugh. I nod.

Come to think of it, I had never seen this side of Beetee, except for one time, when I saw him on a television show one night during the winter. I didn't knor who he was at the time, but workign with him daily, I had put the pieces together a while ago. Katniss and Peeta had just returned from their Victory Tour and everything in Twelve was slowly spiraling out of control. I remember watching television with my family one night - which was rare, power was scarce after the 74th Hunger Games- and seeing a shot of Beetee working in some sort of technological hub, if you will, in District Three. It was a show about what Victors did after they returned home from the Games, and it showed Beetee working, Finnick Odair fishing, and a few other Victors spending time with people from their Districts, taking up hobbies, and recapping their experience in their Games for the hsot of the show. When I watched the show months ago, I didn't recognize anyone except for Finnick Odair...but living in Panem, who wouldn't recognize Finnick Odair?

"Gale?" Beetee's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"What?" I ask. He motions to the monitor where he has just finished setting up the equipment, because we can see that the screen is divided into four parts, each showing static. "Oh, sorry." I shrug, slipping into a seat.

"What I was just telling President Coin is that as soon as these codes come in from my connection in Three, I'll be able to tap the cameras and see where they are," Beetee says.

"Are people still living in Three?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Yeah. Not many, but some stuck around. WE started an uprising, but fro some reason, they didn't bomb us. However, they did cut off a lot of supplies and imports, so a good deal of the population either died off, tried to get away, or wound up here somehow. Only about a hundred of them are here, though. So not nearly as many as are from twelve," he explains.

"Oh, alright," I nod.

Within seconds, the phone begins to ring, and it is Beetee who answers it rather than Coin. Using his shoulder to hold the phone against his ear, he begins typing rapidly, clearly trying to keep up with the person on the other end of the call. When he hangs up the phone, he looks at me and Coin with a small smile. He makes a show of hitting one last button before announcing, "We're in."

Curiosity gets the best of me and I get up from my chair and stand next to Coin, in front of the screen. Suddenly, the static cuts off and is replaced by black and white footage. The screen has been divided into four equal parts, each sector depicting a different area- the main hallway, the back entrance, what looks to be one holding room, and the main entrance to the mansion where the whole complex is. My pulse quickens when I see the tiny figures on one of the shots. I swivel to face Beetee.

"Beetee, hallway!" Coin beats me to it. He nods, typing away at his keyboard. As soon as the rapid clicking stops, the footage of the hallway enlarges until it takes up the entire screen. "Right there," Coin instructs, pointing to the cluster of four or five people towards the bottom of the screen. Beetee clicks away at his keyboard until the picture zooms in to reveal the people in the hallway. I sigh when I realize that all four of them are goddamned Peacekeepers.

"Check the other rooms," Coin tells him, her eyes never leaving the screen. He does as she tells him, returning to the split-view of all four areas. He chooses to enlarge the holding cell next. Just as the picture comes into focus, it cuts off. Within a second, ear-splitting static fills the room. Beetee frantically reaches for a dial, bringing the volume down.

"What happened?" Coin asks, clearly anxious.

"They must have realized what we did, they locked their wall…" Beetee frowns, clicking away at his keyboard again.

"Their wall? What are you going on about?" Coin asks.

"Not a real wall. A wall is just what we call the stage of hacking where we use the codes that you have to access to be granted access to this footage. I had to unlock the wall by using the codes earlier, and now they locked me out. I need to get those codes again and re-enter them, which is most likely their plan. This way, they have a few minutes to takecare fo anything they don't want us to see."

"Well, hurry!" Coin demands. Beetee keeps typing, then reaches for the phone. While he tries to track down the codes, Coin turns to face me. "What was is that you wanted to know before Beetee arrived?" she asks.

I swallow hard. "Which teams are where?" I ask.

"One, three and four reported for rendezvous, team number two did not. Teams one and three were sent back in. McGregor is the head of the operation, as well as the head of team one. He was heading back in with the other members when something happened on his end of the phone. It sounded like gunshots or something. I can't get a hold of him though."

"I have to ask," I begin, but she puts her hand up to stop me.

"Three."

As soon as she says it, I can feel the sweat on my palms. My stomach drops and I can feel blood rushing to my face. I struggle to swallow the massive lump that has suddenly formed deep in my throat while I fumble for my words.

"Thanks," I reply with a scratchy voice, not knowing what else there is for me to say.

"You don't look so good, Gale. Do you need a minute?" she asks.

"No, I'm fine," I tell her, even though it's one of the biggest lies I've ever told in my entire existence. I'm about as far from fine as you can be. All I want to do is climb on the closest hovercraft and get my ass to the Capitol, but I know I can't. I want to scream- at Coin for setting up this mission, at Snow for being the cause of the mission, at Peeta for getting his sorry ass captured, for whoever the hell picked the teams for getting Madge put on any team other than four, and most of all, at myself for not doing more to stop this whole thing from happening. The self-loathing I'm feeling right now is practically unbearable. I want it to be me on that mission, me missing in some basement torture complex beneath the president's mansion. Not her.

"Gale? Gale!" Coin's voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I ask. Even _I _can hear the shakiness to my voice.

"Go take a walk," she tells me.

"N-no, I'm fine," I say, taking a deep breath. Although, I'm not too sure if it's really her I'm trying to assure.

"Gale. Now. I'll page you if anything happens," she says.

"Don't be ridiculous," I say. As if I'd actually leave right now. Not until we locate the teams, even though the selfish asshole in me really only cares about the third team. Coin's eyebrows furrow together for a moment, before slanting down her face as if she's ready to kill.

"I'm in," Beetee announces, saving me from Coin and those eyebrows. She turns to face the screen, and I take another deep breath before turning to look as well. Beetee has pulled up the view of the back entrance. Zooming in on the people huddling by the door, he asks Coin who they are. I don't recognize anyone on the screen except for Peeta, who is the only one actually standing still. And I do not see Madge, that's for sure. I can feel my fingernails digging into the skin of my palms as my hands ball into fists.

"That's McGregor! And Peeta! And team one!" she exclaims, not bothering to hide the relief and excitement in her voice. I nod at Beetee, and he seems to have understood, because he switches the picture on the screen to the footage of the main entrance to the mansion. Just then, the phone starts ringing. Coin lunges for it. She excuses herself for a second and walks to the other side of the room, lowering her voice. Beetee zooms in, but there's nobody who we care about on the screen, just three Peacekeepers with _extremely _large guns. As soon as she hangs up the phone, Coin returns to where Beetee and I are standing.

"That was McGregor. He has Peeta and his team, and the fourth team is on their way to meet them behind the mansion. They're going to head over to the hovercraft. It's on invisible about three hundred feet from the back entrance," she explains.

"Are they actually leaving?" I ask.

"They're going to wait another ten minutes. If nothing happens, then they are going to assume that the other two teams have either been captured or killed, and they will return to District Thirteen without them."

Beetee must be thinking along the same lines as I am, because he scoffs before I even have a chance to process Coin's words. "That's ludicrous," he argues.

"How's that?' Coin challenges.

"You can't just leave without the other two teams without knowing what happened to them! They were prepared to go in there and risk their lives for the sake of their crew members, and now you're giving them instructions to leave without even knowing if they're alive?"

"He's right," I say, supporting Beetee one hundred percent.

"Enough. I'll make the decisions here," Coin suddenly finds the authority she's been lacking all day.

"So be it. Well, while you were busy making foolish, rash decisions, I was busy locating another team," Beetee purses his lips. I turn to face the screen to see what team he has found. My heart skips a beat when I see the familiar head of blonde hair. _Madge. _

"Zoom in," I say before Coin has a chance to. Beetee does just that, and soon I can see that it definitely is Madge, along with four other 13 "soldiers". They're running down the main hallway. From what, I have no clue. Hopefully, nothing.

"Who is it?" Beetee asks.

"Team three and one member of team two, I believe," Coin says.

"Why are they running?" I ask, although the second I hear my own words, I instantly want to snatch them out of the air and take them back. What a stupid question.

"To get out, I presume," Coin says dryly.

"No, actually, I think that's why they're running," Beetee says, pointing at the screen. And then I see it. Or should I say them? Meaning the two Peacekeepers chasing after them. _Well, shit_. And now, I see what appear to be two of the biggest guns I've ever laid my eyes upon. My stomach is in knots and I suddenly realize that I've been holding my breath. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my composure, even though I want to scream.

"Shit!" Coin yells, summing up my feelings into one word. It doesn't even need to be said, because all three of us know that there's nothing we can do but watch what happens. Everything inside of me is telling me to stop watching; that there's no way they're going to outrun those Peacekeepers, that it's all going to be over in a matter of seconds. But for some reason, I can't tear my eyes away from the screen. The amount of sweat on my palms is at an all-time high and the lump in my throat has made a repeat appearance. I exhale a breath that once again, I didn't know I had been holding and cross my arms across my chest.

"No. No! Nononononono!" Coin exclaims as the Peacekeepers close the gap. Suddenly, there's nowhere else for Madge and the others to run. No doors to use as an escape, no windows, nothing but wall on three sides and two Peacekeepers on the fourth. I want to close my eyes, but I can't. One of the men steps forward. Meanwhile, the other steps back, shouldering his weapon. The rest of the 13 crew turns around to face the terrifying man before them, but not the one person I care about. Just as I begin to wonder why Madge is still facing the other way, she slowly turns around, a look of pure terror on her face.

And that's when the man pulls the trigger.

**A/N: Please don't hate me.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I seriously cannot believe that this is the final chapter already! Thank you all so much for all of your help and thoughts along the way. I'll post a longer author's note along with this chapter with news on the sequel and some other good stuff, so make sure to read that too. I won't keep you waiting any longer, here's the final chapter!**

_Chapter 32._

_Gale POV_

I can feel both Coin and Beetee's eyes on me, but I don't turn away. My eyes are glues to the screen as I watch her fall to the ground, face down. I honestly think I'm going to be sick. The man shoots three more times, and three more people hit the ground motionless. I squeeze my eyes closed and take a shaky breath. "Cut away," Coin says. Beetee does as he is told, because when I open my eyes a second or two later, the screen shows the back entrance again. I can hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears like a drum. My hands are curled so tightly into fists that my fingernails break the skin, leaving small red crescents on my palms.

"Gale. Out," Coin says.

"What?" even I can notice the shakiness to my voice.

"I can't decide if you're going to punch a wall or break down. Whichever one it is, I don't want to be present for it," she says, raising her eyebrows.

"I- I'm not," I say, even though it sounds far from convincing.

"Gale, go." Coin nods at the door. Her usual indifferent expression has returned to her face. She is no longer the frantic, disheveled "leader" who was present earlier, but rather her normal, stoic self. Taking another deep breath, I turn and walk out of the room.

Almost a week later, people have stopped asking me how I'm doing. It's honestly a relief, not to have to face the same questions every time I walk through a door.

"_How are you today, Gale?"_

"_Hey, Hawthorne! How you holdin' up?"_

"_Gale, please talk to me."_ This from my mother. She knows Madge is gone, and she knows what was going on between us, but she doesn't stop asking. Until Thursday- four days after I had to tell my family the news- it suddenly stops. I guess she must have remembered the numbness she felt after the mine explosion took my father. I don't remember it hurting this much when I lost my dad.

I feel so insanely responsible for what happened. I tried to convince her not to go, but I didn't try hard enough. Maybe if I had pushed just a little bit harder, she'd still be here. I'm not sure what's worse: not knowing how close I could have been to saving her or knowing that when it came down to it, I let her go and now she's dead.

It's Sunday. It's been a week. The numb, empty feeling is still there, but my urge to punch, hit and kick anything and everything has begun to subside. I haven't slept all week… not that I need sleep, though. Each day is the same- wake up, eat, special weapons for a few hours, meeting number one, eat, back to special weapons, meeting number two, eat, back to my quarters. Until I stop going to meetings. No one even comes looking for me, which is a major upside. I start staying in Special Weapons, designing weapons with Beetee through meeting number one. And then I'll move on to shooting dozens of magazines of ammunition straight through meeting number two. I'm not sure what it is about the sounds of shells hitting the ground and the smell of a freshly fired weapon, but it's oddly satisfying.

It's the second Friday since the teams returned from the Capitol, sans Madge. Seeing as it is the first time in nearly two weeks that I didn't spend the night tossing turning, and walking the halls of Thirteen. I allow myself the luxury of sleeping until nine, at which point I get up to find that my family has left for the day. Running a hand through my hair, I start my day. I'm making my way to Special Weapons when I see that the Everdeen's door is open a crack. I begin to worry if something is wrong, so I approach the door and try to listen to see if everything's okay.

"His fault!" is all I hear, but I recognize it as Katniss' voice.

"No, Katniss." This is Prim's voice, I'm sure of it.

"Yes, Prim. He had no right to let her go."

_Who let who go where? _I wonder.

"Katniss," Prim's voice is soft and very reasonable. I can picture her sitting across from Katniss, placing her small hand on Katniss' arm to try to get her to calm down. "You have to stop blaming Gale for this."

_Gale?! _Then I know what they're talking about. Everything fits into place, and the pit in my stomach returns.

"It's his fault, Prim. It is. He should have never let her go; he should have fought for her to stay. But he didn't, and she went, and she's gone." I can hear the malice in her voice. Prim must be able to as well, because she makes a noise of frustration.

"Please, please, please stop! He did nothing wrong. You can't get like this, okay? You did this when Dad died. I remember." Whoa, where is this Prim coming from? When did the frail, little girl become gutsy enough to stand up to her older sister?

"What do you mean?" Katniss' tone has softened a bit, but the edge is still there.

I can hear Prim sigh on the other side of the door. "You pretend like loss doesn't bother you, but it is okay to hurt. You can tell me that you're feeling sad instead of putting up a wall and blaming Gale." Prim's voice has dropped down to just above a whisper, and I have to strain to hear her clearly.

"Prim, I'm not blaming Gale because I'm afraid to be affected by Madge's death. I'm blaming Gale because he could have done a number of things to keep her from going on the mission, but he didn't. If he had stepped up and stood up for her like a good boyfriend would have, she would still be here."

"Katniss, you can't think of it like that! It was no one's fault. I have to go, Mom wanted me to stop by the medical wing." Even though the words registered in my brain, for some reason, I don't move and when Prim opens the door all the way, she nearly runs into me.

"Gale, hi!" she chirps in her usual way. I'm expecting either the normal 'How are you holding up today?' or a quick exit on her behalf, in which case she knows I just heard that conversation. However, she smiles up at me and says, "Katniss is inside if you're looking for her. I have to run, but have a good day!" And suddenly, she's gone. I turn back to the door to see Katniss standing against the open doorframe.

"How long have you been standing here?" Instead of the anger and hatred that laced her voice just minutes ago, her voice is dripping with regret.

"Long enough." I turn and walk away, headed for Special Weapons. It'll be good to get my hands on a gun today.

The next morning, I'm sitting at the tiny table in my family's quarters, nursing a cup of lukewarm instant coffee. My thoughts have long since blurred, seeing as I've been staring at my mug for quite a while. Since Madge has gone, I've been feeling a whole lot of numbness and even more self-pity. No matter what, I can't stop thinking it's all my fault. What Katniss said yesterday is only adding to the self-hatred.

A sharp knock on the door startles me, and as a result, I accidentally tip my mug over. My coffee splashes over the rim of the Styrofoam and dribbles down the table, straight to the edge, and pools on my jeans. I curse under my breath, reaching for something to clean up with. "One second!" I half call, half growl. Once everything is somewhat under control, I open the door. _Shit. _

"Gale."

Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she's wearing her normal face of indifference. "Katniss, what are you doing here?"

"What, I can't stop by to talk to you?" Just the sound of her voice brings back memories of yesterday, and the awful feeling in my gut swells.

"No, you can't." I begin to close the door, but she slips inside like the sneaky thing she is, letting the door close behind her with a soft bang.

"Seriously, Gale, can we talk?" she asks.

Talking to Katniss is honestly the last thing I want to do right now. There's no reason for me to willingly place myself in a situation that would leave me feeling even worse about myself- if that's even possible. "Seriously, Katniss, no." I try my best to match her pleading tone. For a moment, she doesn't say anything, she just sighs (in what I hope is defeat).

"Stop acting like this!" she finally exclaims. Her little outburst catches me off guard. I don't say anything, I just wait for her to continue. "You're going around acting like you're the only one who is allowed to feel upset, and you're not! Every time I see you, your head is down, you don't say much, and you look like you just swallowed a rock. Gale, you weren't the only person who was affected by this!"

"What are you talking about? I never-"

"I'm not finished!" she cuts me off. "If losing Madge was such an issue for you, if you really can't bear to be without her-"

Now it's my turn to interrupt her.

"What are you getting on about? The hell I can't bear to be without her! What do you think I've been doing since she died?"

"You've been sitting around shooting guns and feeling sorry for yourself! You haven't been to the last dozen meetings, Gale! More importantly, you're putting on this indifferent façade which isn't fooling me! I know you had something with her, and I know you miss her, but I do too! There are other people here besides you who lost her."

"Where is this even coming from? This whole thing makes no sense! You're calling me out for what- feeling sad because Madge died? What's it to you?" I shout. She opens her mouth to respond, but I keep talking. "You're the one blaming me for her death, Katniss! If you really feel the need to blame someone, blame yourself for leaving Peeta in the Arena. Blame yourself for letting him be taken by the Capitol, for the mission having to happen. Blame _yourself _for Madge, don't blame me. Because I have that part under control all by myself."

Instead of screaming at me like I expect her to, she uncrosses her arms, turns on her heel, and is out the door before I even realize what I just said to her.

The next morning, I decide to go to see Coin. Partly to see what I've been missing (and if it's important) and partly to stick it to Katniss. Coin is actually pretty surprised to see me, but I can't exactly blame her. She fills me in on the latest things to be happening to the Rebel teams and with the government of Thirteen. Apparently, Peeta isn't improving any, and they're going to try to reverse his hijacking. Sounds like a smart idea to me, so I don't push the subject. Right before I'm about to leave, she slides a small plastic card across her desk. "This is a key that will get you into Ms. Undersee's quarters. In case you needed anything before we have everything cleared out tomorrow." I'm not sure what to say, so I just nod. "Will I be seeing you at the committee meetings from now on?" Coin asks, raising an eyebrow. I shrug.

"I'm not really sure. I guess so? I still have a lot to do with Beetee," I mumble.

"Alright, then. I hope to see you at a meeting soon." With that, she picks up her phone and begins dialing a number, so I get up and leave. Deciding that Beetee doesn't need me right away, I head towards Madge's small quarters.

As I near her door, I can feel the sweat on my palms. My heart is beating faster with every step I take and I begin to rethink things. Maybe I shouldn't go in there. What good would it do, really? Wouldn't it just reopen wounds and leave me feeling even shitter than ever? But then again, what if Coin gave me this key for a reason? What if she knows about something in there that I need to see? After a moment of internal debate, I pull the key out of my pocket and let myself into the small living space.

Her quarters seem to have been untouched since she left what feels like just yesterday. The gray blanket on her bed is folded over and her top drawer is slightly open. There's a cup half full of cold water on the small table, and a pair of shoes sits at the foot of her bed. Everything about the small room is so still, I feel like an intruder standing in the doorway. After some time, I step further into the room, letting the door close behind me. I don't want to touch anything, out of fear that it would mess things up even more. This is where of all of her belongings are, no matter how few. Being in the room is creepy, but comforting at the same time. I can still smell her scent lingering in the air. Everything is so calm and so still, it's difficult to do anything but take it all in.

I just stand there for a while, staring. I must have been standing in the same spot for ten minutes by the time I notice the long white envelope sitting on her pillow. At first, I don't want to cross the room to get a better look; it just feels wrong. But curiosity gets the best of me and I find myself sitting on the edge of her bed, reaching for the envelope. She has written my name on the front of the envelope in careful writing. My breath catches in my throat, and I hurriedly turn it over, fumbling to open the flap and get to the contents inside.

It looks like a letter. Two pages long, written in her neat, loopy handwriting. I swallow the lump in my throat, take a shaky breath, and begin to read.

_Gale-_

_If you're reading this, something has happened and I'm gone. You have no idea how much I'm hoping that I'm going to walk through my door and see this letter and be able to rip it to shreds. But if you're reading this, I haven't done that, and I won't be able to. So I'm sorry. Not just for dying, but for everything- going on the mission; for putting on a brave face even though I was terrified. I'm sorry that this happened to me, but most importantly, I'm sorry that I did nothing but wreak havoc in your life. I'm sorry that I brought that morphling to you when we were in District Twelve. Not because it possibly saved your life- that was a plus- but because it's what began this whole thing. If I had never done that, Mrs. Everdeen would have healed you and you would have been back to your normal life. I would have died with my parents in the bombing, and you would have moved on, just as you should have. I'm sorry I was here to screw it all up and come into your life and change things for you. I really could have saved us both a lot of trouble and heartache. But, at the same time, I'm not sorry. While part of me regrets screwing up your life, an even bigger part of me regrets not having more time with you. _

_The time we had together- no matter how short and screwed up it may have been- was something unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. You were the only reason I was able to make it through losing my parents. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I would have wound up, and for that, I'll never be able to repay you. When we were escaping 12, I made your life hell for a couple of hours. Looking back on it, I realize both how stupid I was and how much you really cared about me. Cared? Care? I'm not sure exactly which tense that should be in. It's a weird thought…to think that you're reading this after I'm gone. I'm sorry for the nightmare I was on the day of the bombing, which is just another thing to add to my list. While we're on the topic of said list, I'd also like to apologize for some other things. I'm sorry for questioning you on our first date. I'm sorry for not finding that hickey as funny as you did. I'm sorry I didn't follow you out on the night of our fight, and I'm even sorrier that I let months pass without speaking to you. I'm so beyond sorry for sending those clothes to you. I can only imagine how awful it made you feel, and I'm so sorry I caused that. Most of all, I'm sorry the time we had together was unfinished, but what we had was better than anything I could have asked for. I know how you are, Gale. If I had to bet, you've blown off several meeting and you've shot a lot of weapons lately. I know you haven't cried yet, and I know you probably won't. I know you've probably been sitting around blaming yourself. Gale, I need you to listen to me. Or to my writing. Whatever. It is not your fault. Understand? I want you to say it now. Out loud, come on. 'It is not my fault." Seriously though, don't just skip to the next part of this letter. Do it. Now, I want you to remember that. No matter what you might think, it was me. Never you. There's no way you could have been responsible for this, and I know you well enough to know that you've spun it some way to place the blame on yourself. _

_Not only do I need to apologize to you, but I need to thank you. You saved me, Gale. You're the reason I got a chance to live through the bombing. You're the one who got me through Katniss and Peeta's second Reaping, and more importantly, losing my parents. I'll be forever grateful for that. _

_Onto my last order of business…I want you to forget. Forget about me, forget about us. You did tell me that you loved me. I never doubted that. If it's true, that you love me, or loved…I want you to move on. You can do it, I'm positive you can. Gale, you are by far the strongest person I know. It may take some digging, but I know without a doubt that you will be able to find the strength you need to move on and find someone else. If there's one person on this planet who deserves a lifetime of happiness, it's you. I'm just sorry I couldn't be the one to share it with you. _

_Thanks for everything. I'm sorry._

_-Madge_

I read the letter over two, three, four times before I fold it up carefully and place it back in the envelope. If there's one thing I'm sure of, I'm not strong. Not as strong as she says I am... there's no way I'm going to forget her.

**A/N: I can't believe this is it! AHHHHHHH. Is the ending kind of _Sopranos_-ish? I struggled forever with what to write after the end of the letter and for a while I planned on the letter being the end of it, but I stuck those three sentences in, and it felt right. Please read the following A/N for more information about the sequel, etc. THANK YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK.**


	33. Author's Note

And so it's over. I really can't believe it! I owe every single reader and reviewer an enormous thank you. I've said it before and I'll say it again- you guys are so helpful and encouraging and I don't think I could have made it this far. A _massive_ thank you to EStrunk, Aella Leto, HungerGames1, TheGoldenHairedMockingjay, and HabsGirl31 for your consistent reviews and support! Of course to all of my anons and to everyone else, thank you so very much!

So, about this sequel…it's definitely happening! It's going to be called _Irrevocable_ and the first chapter should be back up once I get back into the swing of everything with school and when I switch jobs. I'm kind of upset because I had written out like two chapters of the sequel already and a one-shot I was going to post but I forgot to back them up from my computer and it got wiped. I seriously can't believe how stupid I am. But I do know what's going to happen! So hopefully I'll have the first chapter up in a couple of weeks.

I'm working on a trailer for the sequel so you have a vague idea of what's coming! I was going to wait to post the last chapter and this long author's note until it was finished, but with work and summer homework and trying to squeeze the last drops out of summer, it just didn't seem realistic that it would be finished in the next day or so, and I already made you wait, like, three weeks so I wanted to post as soon as the writing was finished. So the link to the trailer (which I will post on YouTube) will be posted in a new chapter attached to this story. The summary for _Irrevocable_ will be posted along with the trailer as well!

I was doing some clicking around on the FanFiction website and I found the spot where it shows me where in the world my readers are and how many people per area, etc. I have readers in countries all over the world, which is absolutely ridiculous! I'm a student in the USA, so to see that there are people in Gibraltar, Iceland, Slovakia, and China (just to name a few) who are reading my story, it is insane! Thank you all so much.

So I'll end with one more thank you! You all are the greatest; I don't think I could have made it this far without the constant support from you! So keep your eyes peeled for the sequel, I can't wait to share what I have in store with you all.

Until the next one,

Carmelina Ballerina


	34. Sequel Information!

Hello, lovelies!

I'm nearly finished writing the first chapter of the sequel! Claps for me! If all goes according to plan, it should be up by Wednesday (Sept. 12), so be sure to check that you have me on Author Alert if you're interested in reading it. I have a few things to share with you guys before the sequel, so here goes!

Here is the description:

_The war is over. Gale is in Two and Katniss is in Twelve. Madge is long gone. History is irrevocable, and Gale knows that better than anyone. But in this world, deception is everything._

And the link to the trailer made by my lovely friend Ella! Thanks so much, you saved me a ton of time! Xoxo

/watch?v=lR9ZarKfTE8&feature=

**Soooo you guys should totally PM me or review and tell me what you think is going to happen! I promise I'll actually respond (I'm so awful at that oh gosh…but seriously I WILL RESPOND I NEED TO WORK ON THIS SOCIAL SKILL.)**

And finally, here is a list of songs that I listen to when I write, or that just remind me of THG, Madge/Gale, my story, etc. in case anyone was curious. I dunno, but I like seeing playlists and stuff when I read fanfics.

Untouchable by Taylor Swift

Iridescent by Linkin Park

I Was Born to Die With You by Allstar Weekend

Kids in Love by Mayday Parade

Wonderwall by Oasis (I actually like the Boyce Avenue cover better. Oops.)

All at Once by The Fray

Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran

Someone Like You by The Summer Set

Wipe Your Eyes by Maroon 5

Look After You by The Fray

Painting Flowers by All Time Low

Reckless and the Brave by All Time Low

Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum

2 Reasons by Trey Songz feat. T.I. (lol. kidding. If you actually looked it up and listened to it I want to be your best friend)

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (Again, I prefer Boyce Avenue [feat. Kina Grannis]. Judge me.)

Young Dumb and In Love by Mat Kearney

Fix You by Coldplay

And of course, Booty Man by Tim Wilson (I think I'm funny)

Won't be long til the next one! 

CB


End file.
